Nurse Graham

The Garden

2012-02-11T19:53:00.000-08:00

Each year my father-in-law plants a bounteous garden.

It is the garden that my children harvested vegetables from to sell at the Farmer's Market.

I love this garden.

Last night at dinner my father-in-law said he ordered his seeds for this year's garden.

I was so excited to hear this news.

I can't wait to watch it grow.

And then enjoy all of the ymmyness that comes from it.

I love this garden.

And my father-in-law for planting it and sharing it with us.

This is What Gets Me Through the Winter

2012-02-09T19:33:00.000-08:00

I am a chocoholic.

There I have admitted it.

I also hate to be cold.

I have found the perfect remedy.

Starbuck's Hot Chocolate

It's what I turn to in the winter to curb my chocolate addiction

And to keep me warm.

It is my "love" for today.

And Sometimes They Really Do Love Me

2012-02-08T21:19:00.000-08:00

I wasn't home very much today. I left for work at 8:00 a.m. I was home briefly from 5:00 to 5:30 before I left again to go to a photography class that I am taking. I knew that laundry was in desperate need of washing. I didn't know how I was going to get it all done.

When I got home at 9 pm all the laundry had been brought down, sorted, and started.

They love me. They really, really love me.

Thank you family. You made my day.

Sometimes I Really do Love Them

2012-02-07T07:50:00.000-08:00

OK, I say that totally toungue-in-cheek, I love my children all of the time. However, I think on occassion the teen-agers in this house do question whether I love them or not. Especially when their feeling loved is predicated on my fulfillment of absurd requests such as this:

Text from Katelyn at 8:34 p.m. while she is working at McDonalds

Katelyn: Hey can you do me a favor?

Me: Depends. I'm in my jammies

Katelyn: (at 8:38 p.m.) Can you bake some cookies? I told Mitchell I would bring him some.

Me: OK

Katelyn: Thanks.

And there you have it. My way of demonstrating my love for Katelyn is to bake cookiesfor her to take to a friend even though it was "late" (in my world anything past 8:30 is late)and I really just wanted to not do anything but lay in front of the fireplace and watch The Diary of Anne Frank.

Feb 6th--A Couple of Celebrations

2012-02-06T17:40:00.000-08:00

I interrupt the "love" posts to share a couple of celebrations.

First, happy birthday to my little sister. She lives across the state and we don't get to see each other often enough. I took us awhile to figure out the special bond that sisters can share, but now all is good. I know that we both have each others' backs and would be there in a flash if the one absolutely needed the other. Hope you enjoyed your banana pistachio cake, Rae.

Second, Carson is finally out of the immobilizer sling! It's been a long six weeks and he still has a lot of physical therapy ahead of him, but at least he now has two working hands. He wants to go to Panda Express tonight to celebrate. He's a funny kid.

More love coming your way tomorrow.

I "Love" Days Like This

2012-02-05T20:12:00.000-08:00

Today was a great day. It started with a beautiful sunny morning. I enjoyed taking a walk with a good friend before church. We haven't been able to spend much time together since she is battleing plantar fasciitis and can't run. I was so glad to walk and talk with her.

Then it was church and being with my family. I honestly don't think there is anything better than sitting in the pew next to my husband and holding his hand.

Finally it was off to home to enjoy more of my favorite things...

Junk food, soda, and football!

It was a good day.

Are you feelin' the love yet?

What are you lovin' this month?

Two of My Favorite Things

2012-02-04T19:22:00.000-08:00

A foam roller and a tennis ball

Dear Readers:

I hope you aren't too disappointed with my first "love" post. Perhaps, you were looking for something a little more "lovey". However, I would literally be in a world of hurt with out my tennis ball and foam roller. There is nothing that feels better after a long run then rolling a tennis ball under my feet & the foam roller along my calves & IT band. (Maybe next year I can add my yoga mat to the mix. Right now there is still a lot of discomfort and dislike that I feel towards yoga. But it is getting better.)

And there you have it. The first love post for February and it highlights a couple of my favorite things. That allow me to stay on track with my running--something I love.

Nurse Graham

It Was Supposed to be 29 Days of Love

2012-02-03T07:56:00.000-08:00

Last February I posted almost every day about something that I loved. I was going to repeat that this year for February. I even had my list ready to go.

But on February 1st, I was crabby and had a huge rant post typed up. Once I typed it all out I wasn't as crabby so I didn't post it.

On February 2nd, I wasn't feeling well so I went to bed (well actually I fell asleep on the family room floor) at 7:30 p.m. so I didn't get anything posted.

Today is February 3rd and...

I will start tomorrow with the love posts.

Some of the posts will be about people I love.

And some of the posts will be about things that I am deeply grateful for or am greatly fond of.

See you tomorrow.

A Trip to Walmart

2012-01-31T19:17:00.000-08:00

I try hard not to make extra shopping trips. But sometimes we run out of things. And sometimes kids tell me that they need items for school BY TOMORROW. And when that happens, sometimes I have to make an extra trip to Walmart.

Tonight was one of those nights and I had to make a trip to Walmart for the following items:

butter
eggs
black duct tape
3x5 notecards

And that is sometimes how things go.

Focus: Learning

2012-01-30T08:57:00.000-08:00

One of my focus words for this year is "learning". I'm taking a holistic approach to learning. This means I am learning in many different areas.

Intellectual: I'm currently reading a fascinating book titled Lords of Finance: The Bankers Who Broke the World. It is about the central bankers of the US, England, France, and Germany who were in charge of their respective countries' central banks in the years between WWI and the Great Depression. The similarities between that time and 2008-present are quite eery--out-of-control spending, lending, inflated values of commodities, etc. For the most part the book is an easy read in not being over technical, but I do wish that I remembered more of my Econ 101 that I took my freshman year at BYU. Ah, but that leads into another learning opportunity.

Physical: For the most part I do a pretty good job at taking care of my physical body. But this year I am going to be more intentional in my eating, trying harder to incorporate more veggies into my diet. For some reason, eating my veggies seems to be a difficult thing for me. I am also trying restorative yoga...again. I don't like yoga. It hurts and I can never "stay in the moment" and "use my breath" the right way. But restorative is a little less intense and focuses more on stretching. It still hurts. My hamstrings are so tight! But I'm going to do my best to stick with it and maybe even learn to like it.

Hobbies: I'm branching out here. Most of my hobbies revolve around either reading or physical exercise. But Dave gave me a fancy digital-SLR camera for Christmas and I need to learn how to use it so it's not just some fancy point and shoot. I've signed up for a "camera basics" class through the Parks and Rec Dept. I'm going to be taking it with a friend who also got a fancy, schmancy camera for Christmas.

Professional: Probably the one area where I really should set some learning goals. The closest I am going to get here is learning about contract negotiations. I am an at-large board member representing Special Services on our local education association. This year our contract is up for negotiation. I've never been involved in a contract negotiation so there will be a steep learning curve for this process. But I am determined to learn, to be thoughtful, and to speak up even if I am in the minority.

Spiritual: I will continue to focus on learning more about following God's plan for me and being a leader (what does that even mean?) I will continue to study about grace and seek to understand that principle better. I also want to learn more about other denominations, not to see if I'm missing something in mine, but so that I can learn the best way to stand with them as we defend Christianity in the last days.

I am hopeful that this will be a fulfilling year and I won't get to next December and feel like I wasted another year.

How Do You Spell Relief?

2012-01-25T08:14:00.000-08:00

I spell "relief"....

BYU-I

Katelyn told me this morning that she found out last night that she was accepted to BYU-I.

They notify everyone via e-mail these days, which I think is a rip-off.

Because there is no letter to rip open with trembling hands.

Stupid.

Anyway, she's in and we are excited for her.

She doesn't know which track she is in yet. She has to fill out another survey.

But now I can stop worrying about what college she will be at next year.

Katelyn was never worried so I don't know how she spells relief.

Good job, Kate. You are

Awesome.

I Don't Want to Jinx Anything, but I Think I Found a Cure

2012-01-21T12:19:00.000-08:00

I have had chapped lips for as long as I can remember. I mean horribly flakey chapped lips. I think I have tried almost every possible chapstick or lip-balm remedy there is. Nothing works for very long and before you know it, I'm again chewing off flakes of skin.

Most of the time the chapped lips are just a nuisance, but sometimes they do cause me to be a little self-conscious. Like the time an elementary student looked at me with utter disgust and horror and said "Your lips are ugly. They are really chapped." Ah, you gotta love kids and their honesty. Or when a last month when I was trying to show the dermatologist a spot on my lip that I was concerned about because it was discolored & he couldn't identify the area because me lips were so chapped.

But the conversation with the dermatologist was an enlightening one. He asked about how long my lips had been chapped. I told him literally for as long as I can remember. He said that it appeared that the chapping was due to something come in contact with me lips. There are only two things that have routinely come into contact with my lips for as long as I can remember...milk and toothpaste.

I have had enough food allergy tests done to know that I am not allergic to milk. Then I started thinking about toothpaste and when my lips seem the most chapped. They are most chapped every time I brush my teeth. So then I thought that maybe I'm allergic to some of the ingredients in toothpaste. I hoped that by changing to a "natural" toothpaste this would cure my chapped lips. But it didn't.

Finally I thought about times when the dentist has put vaseline on my lips before my flouride treatments and times when he doesn't. Vaseline on lips before flouride = no chapped lips; no vaseline = chapped lips.

LIGHTBULB!

Vaseline on lips before brushing my teeth!

I've been doing this for about a week and there is a marked improvement in the state of my lips...no more flakey skin. What a remarkable thing this might be if this turns out to be the cure for my chapped lips. I just can't believe it took me 40 years to find the answer.

I Miss Kate

2012-01-19T13:37:00.000-08:00

No I'm not talking about crazy Kate of Kate Plus 8. I'm talking about my Kate. My super sweet, incredibly faith-filled, an absolute joy to be around Katelyn.

Last night she was at work and the rest of us were watching American Idol together. I thought about how much Katelyn would have enjoyed watching that with us. She's worked a lot already this week so we haven't seen much of her. And last night I realized that I missed her.

This letting kids grow up and encouraging them to be responsible, independent young adults is sometimes tough stuff. It's even a little tougher when you realize that, as a parent, you've done a half-way decent job at helping her become responsible, independent young adult and now that she is acting on those teachings you really just want her to be 4 again so you can hold her chubby little hand and listen to all of her millions of stories.

Great, now I've just made myself cry.

Ok, tears are dried and I can write again. Like I was saying, I'm glad that Katelyn is becoming more responsible (for the most part, just don't ask about college applications. At least she has in 3) and she definitely has self-confidence; but sometimes I feel like we are missing too much time with her.

But I'm super grateful for the times she is at home. I love you Kate.

A New Blog Post

2012-01-14T18:55:00.000-08:00

I don't know what it is about school breaks and me, but it seems like after being on a school break I lose all momentum for blogging. I think it is pretty pathetic that it is the 14th of January and I only have one other blog post for January.

Last night was an awesome family night. We went to Red Robin for dinner where I got to enjoy a delicious cheeseburger on a BUN! Yay for Red Robin adding Udi's hamburger buns as an option for those diners who are on a gluten-free diet. I enjoyed every last bite of that cheeseburger. Did you read that, Dad? I ate the whole thing! But my enjoyment of the cheeseburger wasn't the only thing that made last night awesome. Last night was awesome because everyone was in a good mood. We laughed and joked. We reminisced. We just really enjoyed each others company. It's weird to think that next year it will just be 3 of us at home for most of the year.

I'm speaking tomorrow in Sacrament meeting. It's the "farewell" for one of the young men in our ward. He will be leaving for his mission in Brazil this next week. I feel a little weird about speaking tomorrow only because I'm of the opinion that people who are close to the soon-to-be missionary should be the ones speaking and I don't fall into that catagory. But no one asked for my opinion and any way, that's not how the Church does things any more.

I'm watching the Broncos get decimated by the Patriots. The Elders Quorum in our ward are having an informal get-together to watch this game. Dave and I didn't go. We didn't go mostly because Dave can't take me out in public to watch football games, particularly if is the Broncos. I yell way too much and talk back to the TV.

And with two blog posts under my belt for the month of January, I will now try to get back in the swing of things and get more blog posts done.

We Could Be a Comic Strip

2012-01-06T11:10:00.000-08:00

My conversation with Dave last night as we were preparing for bed would make a great comic strip.

First frame: Me, brushing my teeth and looking in the mirror, realizes something horrifying..."I'm getting an old lady neck."

Next frame: Dave, brushing his teeth and looking in the mirror, begins to chuckle and rummage around in the vanity drawer.

Third frame: Me, finished with teeth brushing and now extending and stretching my neck..."I'm too young for an old-lady neck."

Final frame: Dave, finished with his teeth brushing and now with tweezers in hand, "Do you want to know why I laughed? Because as you were saying you had an old-lady neck, I was noticing another gray hair and wondering where the tweezers were so I could pull it."

We both had quite a chuckle at our conversation and predicaments.

Dave's final comment? "Please don't put this on the blog!"

But really folks, how could I not? It's just too good. Maybe I should send it to the illustrator/creator of the Pickles comic strip.

Hope you enjoyed a laugh or two.

Christmas 2011

2011-12-30T11:07:00.000-08:00

Part of the cousin crew, Katelyn, Carson, Dave and Heather

This Christmas was a little different for us in that we didn't do a lot of our traditional Christmas Eve activities. Having a boy who was just a couple of days post-op interrupted some of the usual celebrating. I think the following Christmas morning conversation pretty much sums up how Carson felt about the first 3 days after surgery...

Katelyn received an inspirational quote plaque that said "Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass. It's about learning to dance in the rain."

I turned to Carson and said, "That quote is perfect for you right now."

Carson: "What do you mean?"

Me: "Well with your surgery...this is your chance to learn to dance in the rain."

Carson: "You get pneumonia from dancing in the rain."

Not too many positive vibes were coming from that boy and he definitely wasn't much interested in trying to find a silver lining to the surgery situation. I felt so bad for him because he really did have a rough first 3 days after surgery.

Good news for everyone was that by Monday night he was feeling better enough to enjoy visiting with his cousins when we saw them on Tuesday.

Bad news was that on Wednesday he and Katelyn got some nasty stomach virus that pretty much emptied out their entire GI tracts, up and down.

Good news was that it was a relatively short-lived gastric episode so we were able to enjoy visiting again and not remain under quarantine. Really good news...no one else got sick. Yay for Lysol wipes!

Other highlights:

Amazing Christmas dinner made by my mom and dad. Being able to share that dinner with my brother Mike and his family, including his older kids.
Left-overs on Tuesday night with my brother Nate and his family.
New camera from Dave which I am totally not prepared for--there are way too many fancy features for me to truly appreciate all that this camera will do.
Having my mom and dad join Kate and me for Christmas services at our ward building.
Carson's shoulder muscle spasms finally stopping on Christmas night.

Surgery Day

2011-12-22T08:30:00.000-08:00

Today is Carson's shoulder surgery.

Out loud I say "All will be well. This is pretty routine stuff the surgeon will be fixing today."

But if my restless sleep and dreams of last night were any indication of my inner self feelings and thoughts, it would be apparent that I am more nervous and concerned that I am conscious of.

I've been praying.

I'll keep praying and will pray with Carson before surgery.

We are prepared for the post-op and recovery period. We are borrowing a recliner from Rich & Charlene. Rich even brought his special pillow that he used after his shoulder replacement. We're lying low for the next week or so.

I'll take Josie for a run when we get home so she'll be worn out and will leave Carson alone. The problem will come when my in-laws dogs come on Friday. They are a pretty lively crew when they are all together--Josie, Zoe and Chelogue. But I'll run Josie every day so hopefully that will help.

I'm sure all will be well. This is pretty routine stuff the surgeon is fixing today.

2011 Christmas Letter

2011-12-19T16:11:00.000-08:00

David was in charge of this year's Christmas letter. We discussed how the letter should be composed and we both decided it would be easiest to use an idea from our friends, the Steven's. So each family member contributed their input in the catagories of like, dislike, favorite moment, and looking forward to.

It was done in a nice table format, but I can't figure out how to load that table on blogger so you get what you get down below.

David Likes: my kids, fly fishing; Dislikes: wind; Favorite Moment: Yellowstone, Seattle to Portland Bike ride; Looking forward to: spring/summer

Heather Likes: running, blogging, reading; Dislikes: cold, decreased daylight hours; Favorite Moment: Disneyworld; Looking forward to: possible summer road trip

Katelyn Likes:singing, acting; Dislikes: homework, spiders; Favorite Moment: Disneyworld; Looking forward to: spring break in NY, Europe trip, College

Carson Likes: Ice cream; Dislikes: injuries; Favorite Moment: DisneyWorld; Looking forward to: Driver's license

And the obligatory picture on the Christmas card was from everyone's favorite place, Disneyworld.

Blech, I'm Prodromal

2011-12-17T14:13:00.000-08:00

I woke up yesterday with the tell-tale signs of an impending sickness of some sort.

I had a sore throat.

An empty-headed feeling (no snarky remarks about being blonde, thank you very much) even though my ears are plugged up.

A slight "sick to my stomach" feeling

And post-nasal drip. Yuck.

My mantra has been since yesterday morning "I will not get sick. I will not get sick."

So far so good, but I still have my symptoms.

Keeping my fingers crossed that nothing worse comes from these.

Reinforcing Stereotypes

2011-12-14T17:04:00.000-08:00

The following is a re-cap of a recent conversation with Carson. He had spent the day at a wrestling tournament. His dad and I showed up in the late afternoon to watch the finals.

Carson: Oh, I have some change for you.

Parent: You only have coins left?

Other parent: Well, he went to breakfast with the team & then had to have lunch. What did you have for lunch?

Carson: Panda {ed. note: that would be Panda Express}.

Parent #2 : Um, how did you get to Panda Express?

Carson: Someone gave me a ride.

Parent #2: Who gave you a ride?

Carson: Brady and he's a really good driver.

Parent #1 (who once was a teen-age boy himself): What makes him a really good driver?

Carson: Well he does all these crazy maneuvers with professional skills. Like he backed out of the parking lot like at 35 miles an hour & turned us around to going forward just like professional driver.

Parent #2 (who never was a teen-age boy, but had brothers): I think we need to work on your definition of "good driver" because that doesn't sound like a good driver to me.

And there you have it...a conversation that reinforces the stereotype that teen-age boys engage testosterone and bravado way before they engage their brains.

Because It's Important

2011-12-12T17:51:00.000-08:00

I ran across this YouTube video today on the Runner's World website. The message is about 9 minutes long, but the way it is delivered is very engaging and the message an important one.

It's amazing that just a simple 30 minute walk a day can have such a big impact on overall health. And it appears that it doesn't have to be 30 consecutive minutes. For those who work in an office behind a desk, there are other studies not presented here that demonstrate a 10 minute walk break every hour or so can increase productivity as well as improve health.

So when you see me walking the halls of the schools, I'm not off-task. I'm just trying to take care of myself.

Don't Dis Santa

2011-12-09T11:57:00.000-08:00

When I was growing up, our Christmas lists to Santa weren't very long but they did include requests for gifts that might be a little bit out of mom and dad's price range. Santa was the one person we knew could fill that gap. I was so thankful for Santa.

Best Buy is running a series of commercials that I find rude and disrespectful.

It took me a couple of times viewing this commercial to figure out just what it was that bothered me so bad and then it finally hit me...the woman is basically telling Santa, "I don't need you." I find her attitude toward Santa arrogant, condescending, and ungrateful.

I'm sure I am reading much more into this 30 second commercial than Best Buy ever intended, but I thought it a shame that Best Buy thinks we have evolved into a society that is so willing to dismiss Santa. The women in the commercial states, "I guess I didn't leave any room for you." How sad that she would be unwilling to make room for any gifts Santa may have for her, and instead, gloat in her ability to provide for herself. To me, Santa is the personification of gift-giving, love, and service. I might be reaching a bit here, but if our society can say to Santa, "I don't have room for you", what are we saying about Christ, who is the literal ultimate gift-giver, Master of love and service?

What to Give?

2011-12-05T17:29:00.000-08:00

I take my gift-giving very seriously. I spend a great deal of time carefully contemplating what would be a gift that would mean the most to the recipient. To me, being able to pick out a gift that is meaningful for the receiver is an expression of love.

But there are a couple of very special people in my life who cause me to scratch my head and wonder just what would be the most meaningful gift. They are at a stage in their lives where they don't need any more stuff and if they did need stuff, they certainly are in a favorable financial position so they could purchase what they want or hire someone to help them or even build/make it themselves.

Every Christmas I worry about what to give them. Today in the mail I received a brochure from World Vision, a Christian humanitarian organization that provides food, animals, medicine, etc. to children throughout the world. The brochure said a donation in someone's name would make a wonderful gift. I paused a moment to think about how I would feel if someone made a donation in my name and said that was their gift to me. I decided I would be OK with that. Then I wondered if that would be very presumptious of me to think that our parents would feel the same way and be OK if we made a donation in our their names & made that our gift to them. What if they would rather we choose a different organization? Or what if there is something they really want and I somehow have overlooked it?

I've been thinking about this all day and, unfortunately, I am still far from knowing what to do. I ran it by David and he said, after quite a pause, "Hmm, that's odd."

Bother.

Did I Tell You?

2011-12-03T18:12:00.000-08:00

I am trying to run at least a mile every day (except Sunday) between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day. So far, so good.Thanks to my various running buddies who are willing to go out with me in the dark. Yes, and that includes Josie, too.
I am almost done with all of the Christmas shopping. Brothers that live in distant states...your wives' presents have been shipped. Brother in MN, your daughter's present will be shipped this week.
The first Christmas card of the season arrived today (Loved how you did your letter, Stevens family). I have not done any work on our card yet. I guess I better get busy.
Carson is scheduled for shoulder surgery on December 22nd. I know, not the best timing, but it was the soonest he could get on the schedule. At least he will have a week at home to recuperate before he has to head back to school.
I've already been in contact with the school nurse at the high school to get a medical 504 plan in place for Carson since his surgery will be on his right shoulder, he is right-handed, and he will be in an immobilizer for a few weeks. He will need someone to write for him.
I'm pretty sure that there is something scheduled every night for the next two weeks. Don't worry...there is plenty of cereal in the pantry for dinner.
Katelyn successfully managed to get her application in to BYU-Idaho by December 1st meeting the early registration deadline. There was a small miracle that occurred with this. On November 29th she finally went to the counseling center and asked the secretary what she needed to do to get her transcripts sent. Secretary told her all fines had to be paid. November 30th I went in to pay her fines & fill out transcript request. I asked the secretary if the transcripts were submitted electronically or mailed. She said they were mailed. I left feeling pretty frustrated and fed-up with Katelyn for waiting so long. But when Katelyn got on her BYU-I account on December 2nd and it said that her application was complete and transcripts received, we all did a little happy dance. I think we were the recipients of a Christmas miracle.
Katelyn has not applied to any other schools besides BYU-I and BYU. That causes me stress, but she doesn't seem too worried about it.
I love snowmen, cookbooks, and Precious Moments ornaments and SugarTown. I have quite a collection of all these things. The cookbooks are on display all year in the beautiful barrister chest my father-in-law made for me. The snowmen and Precious Moments are Christmas decorations. I love it when they are on display at Christmas.
Pandora radio Christmas station is playing when I am at work on my work computer. At home, we don't listen to much Christmas music. The car radio was turned to the Christmas station the day after Thanksgiving and there it will stay until it no longer plays Christmas music.

And this is what it would be like to have a phone conversation with me...random and rambling.

Thanksgiving Weekend

2011-11-28T20:07:00.000-08:00

We Dave and Carson started preparing for Thanksgiving on Wednesday night. Dave signed us up for bringing rolls even after I said I didn't want to bake so I put that back on him. The first batch was cloverleaf rolls, hence all of the little pieces of dough. The second batch was just regular rolls because the boys decided making all those little dough balls was way too time-consuming.

Times like this I wish I could eat wheat. The rolls looked so yummy.

Thanksgiving morning I joined a friend for a 5 mile run before our family headed to Quincy to feast with Dave's family. And what a feast it was, too! Ham AND turkey, all the fixin's, plus so many desserts. Sadly no pictures from the visit.

We came home on Friday afternoon. That night we enjoyed seeing The Muppets movie where I laughed, sang and even danced a little in my seat much to the horror of my children. Dave made a point of buying the large size popcorn and pop just to prove that he doesn't always say "no".

Finally it was Saturday and time to decorate from Christmas. Dave hauled up all of the boxes from the basement and then the kids and I got busy putting out the decorations. Carson put out all the Sugar Town decor while Katelyn and worked on the tree. Carson came in after most of the decorating had been completed to ~~rearrange some of the ornaments~~ put the finishing touches on the tree.

This is how we decorate the top of the tree--the "Dad Stepstool"

Sunday was church and getting ready for the new week.

It was a very nice Thanksgiving weekend.

My Christmas List

2011-11-26T07:00:00.000-08:00

Dave and the kids have been bugging me to get a Christmas list written down for them. I told Dave that all I wanted for Christmas was the Honda's brake light finally fixed--it's been out since May and we have had the replacement bulb for awhile. Well, Dave fixed the light last weekend so Christmas came early. I don't feel like I need any more stuff. But Dave said I needed to make a list because he knows "gifts" is one of my love languages and he doesn't want me to feel unloved this Christmas.

Well, family, you forget that right up there with "gifts" is "acts of service" as a love language. So with that in mind, I give you my Christmas list...

A hug and a kiss every day from my two kids. An "I love you" thrown in occassionally would also be awesome.
A "Good-bye, Mom" every day as they leave for school.
A helping hand with dinner or folding laundry.
Someone besides me to sweep the kitchen floor or vacuum the downstairs regularly, without being asked!
More expressions of gratitude. A simple "Thanks for scraping my car windows, Mom" would mean so much.

That's it, family. Giving me these things on my this Christmas list would say "I love you" more than anything you could buy for me.

Our DVR

2011-11-23T18:38:00.000-08:00

When we up-graded our TV last year, we also up-graded our cable box. The new box came with a DVR. There are two people in this house who use it regularly and often complain that the other has too much saved that is taking up too much space. Those conversations are actually quite comical and each tries to argue why their show should remain on the DVR.

If I list what is usually on the DVR, can you guess who the two high-frequency users are? Here you go...

Sportsnation
Trout TV
North to Alaska fishing show
Seasons on the Fly
Various TMC movies: currently there is Spartacus, Gone with the Wind, Citizen Cane, and Adventures of Robin Hood. Over the summer we had Singin' in the Rain, Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde, Great Expectations, Music Man, Casablanca, Frankenstein, How the West Was Won, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, All is Quiet on the Western Front

There you have it. Those shows and movies are usually what fill up the space on our DVR.

"Dream with Courage and Flexibility"

2011-11-19T18:58:00.000-08:00

I read that quote about a year ago. It was in a newsletter from the Spokane Guild School and came from the WA state chairman to the state disability commission. It struck a chord with me then and from time to time during this past year it has come to my mind. I think it has meant different things to me depending on what my life was like at that time; during the spring and summer I thought of that quote as I was making my goals for the races I wanted to compete in. Today it means something a little different as I think about my children and their dreams.

Dreaming is easy, but it takes courage to turn those dreams into goals. Goals require hard work, and often times, moving outside of the comfortable spot we all seem to want to settle into. Courage is required to continue moving forward even when obstacles appear or the work to achieve seems too hard.

Courage is also needed to be flexible when events beyond your control impede your ability to meet the goals in the way that was originally dreamed. Courage and flexibility are necessary so that the dreams/goals do not define your whole existence. Because when dreams/goals define you, then it is very hard to give up the original dream and move forward on an altered course. Flexibility combined with courage is needed so the new path, maybe even with new dreams, does not feel like a failure.

I love my children dearly. I am so proud of the work that they have both put in recently on their dreams. They set goals and worked towards those goals. Each had their dreams interrupted by events beyond their control. One child has been able to redefine the goal and path. For the other one, the interruption is still too new, too raw to recognize that maybe the dream needs to be redefined.

I'll Tell You What I Want, What I Really Really Want

2011-11-15T10:09:00.000-08:00

I was going to write an open letter to my family telling them that what I want, really really want is a hot shower in the morning. However, I discovered that there is something else that I want just a little bit more than a hot shower (although it would be nice to have a hot shower when I'm chilled to the bone in the morning).

So what I want, what I really really want is to be able to look at my childrens' progress reports and shout for joy rather than groan in disappointment. I want my smart, capable children to care enough about their grades to put forth their best effort all the time. I want them to understand that turning in their assignments on time is part of putting forth their best effort. I want them to not tell me every night "No, I don't have any homework" when it is clear that there are things they can be doing. What I want is for them to live up to their potential. I want them to be working harder than me on securing their success in academics.

If I can't have those things, then what I want is to be the kind of mother who won't kick the kids to the curb when they come crying because their first choice college plans don't work out because of their grades and they have no back up plan. Because you know what? My gut reaction would be to be less than sympathetic & say "I told you so. Guess you should have cared a little more about your grades and performance. Good luck out there in the world."

Is that too much?

What I Was Thinking About When I Had Nothing Else To Think About

2011-11-14T16:30:00.000-08:00

Every day I have a about 30 quiet moments before work. I use this time for scripture study and prayer. I try very hard during that time to pay particular attention to thoughts, impressions, or feelings that might enter my mind knowing that those things are often from God to guide me through the day, week, year, or life. I can't say that I have any miraculous revelations to share. Matter of fact, the quietness is sometimes difficult to bear because often (or is it almost always) nothing comes and my mind is a blank. That blankness leaves me feeling "less than". I have been taught my whole life that reading the scriptures will draw me near to God and that prayer is my communication tool with God. I feel like I must be lacking some certain skill in either prayer or listening to seemingly consistently feel like there is a lack of inspiration to guide my path that day.

I'm fortunate that I also get almost 30 minutes every day to have a quiet lunch at my home. I come home in between school assignments. Those 30 minutes are often spent putting left-over cereal bowls in the dishwasher, sweeping the kitchen floor, folding laundry, etc. But today, even though those things needed to be done, I chose to not think about them. Instead I thought about what I was lacking. I pondered on what it would be like to be humble and holy enough to be so in-tune with God that I could be constantly cognizant of His hand directing my life. I wondered what President Monson felt like each day. I was curious to know how the Pope identified the feelings. I thought about my cousins Stephanie, Stacie, and Scott, good Christian peoople who I believe have figured out the secret of keeping God close and hearing His voice. I pictured my dad, who for several years had left God's path, but returned and is able to keep God's will in his view. My mom, also, is an example of being a hearer and doer of God's word. And as I thought about people who are true followers of Christ, the more people who kept coming to my mind.

So what I was thinking about when I had nothing else to think about is how much I want to feel God's words and love in my heart. How I want those 30 minutes of quiet time in the morning to be the uninterrupted stream of personal revelation from God that I dream it could be. I am grateful for those inspirations when they do come and to be honest, I know that I have definitely received inspiration from God throughout my life thus far. I thank God immediately when I recognize the inspirations. I just want to be the type of person who knows that I am not letting God down.

I have a long way to travel on that path.

Farewell Colette

2011-11-12T12:03:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure what sparked the idea in the first place. All I know is that about a 9 months ago Carson came home one day from the barber shop with the tiniest little rat tail. He loved that little tail. Much thought was put into naming it. The first suggestion was Remy after the little rat in Disney's Ratatouille. But Carson rejected that suggestion because it had to be a girl's name. Sticking with Ratatouille as inspiration, Colette was selected as the chosen name.

Colette symbolized Carson's quirky personality and willingness to march to the beat of his own drum. Yes, Colette drove me crazy especially as she continued to grow & became more apparent with each haircut. At each haircut, Katelyn would plead with Carson to get Colette cut off. Once she even had a co-worker write Carson a note telling him that the tail just wasn't cool. Dave tolerated the tail better than either Katelyn or I did, but was anxious to see Colette gone. Carson was completely unphased by all of that and stuck by his guns believing that Colette, indeed, was very cool.

But as this year's wrestling season approached he came to the realization that if Colette stayed he would have to wear a hair net under his wrestling headgear. As cool as Colette was in his mind, the prospect of wearing a hair net definitely was not. And so he had a decision to make.

Today he decided to say good-bye to Colette. I asked if he wanted me to take the camera to the barber shop so I could document the farewell. He said no. He also declined the offer of Skittles--the treat we used to keep him still on his very first haircut as a little boy. He said he would hold still all on his own & let Irv do what he needed to do. And so he did.

Carson is now officially Colette-free and ready to get wrastlin'

Jinkies, I Hope It Grows Fast

2011-11-07T07:23:00.000-08:00

I have an awesome hairstylist. She pretty much can work miracles with my hair. Unfortunately, the last time I had my haircut I forgot to schedule my next appointment. Because she is so awesome, she is booked and you can't be worked in.

I didn't realize my critical error until too late. And by too late I mean I was way overdue for a haircut and I was ready to cut it myself. Fortunately a friend saved me from another critical error and gave me the name of her hairstylist. I was desparate and so I took her recommendation (especially since she has a really cute haircut).

Well, I went on Friday to get my haircut. I thought I had explained what I wanted, the quirks of my hair (I have some weird wave patterns) and what length I like to wear my bangs. I guess what I had described wasn't what the stylist heard. She got the length right, but pretty everything else went wrong.

I now have a blunt, slightly undercut, chin-length bob with straight across bangs that are about a half inch above my eyebrows.

I look like Velma from Scooby-doo.

You can bet I'm getting on my regular stylist's schedule for 7 weeks from now.

Welcome November

2011-11-01T06:12:00.000-07:00

Adios, October. You give me the "blahs" so I can't say I'm sorry to see you go.

Good morning and welcome, November.

I can already tell we are going to get off to a great start since I just saw this on the news...

It is NoShaveNovember!

Yay! A whole month of not shaving?! That's awesome.

Ew, you say?

Well chances are my legs are either going to be covered in long pants, tights, or some other leg covering all winter long so you'll never know.

What about armpits?

Yeah, I will be shaving those because, ew.

Why NoShaveNovember?

The news said it was actually for guys & something about raising awareness for prostate cancer. But I say if the guys can go a month without shaving, so can I.

And with that, November is off to a great start.

Well except for my stupid clock that keeps resetting itself overnight & falling back an hour. It's never been the same since I killed it & it revived itself.

"Just Because"

2011-10-28T17:11:00.000-07:00

These arrived at my office today

The card said "Just because"

Sometimes my man really gets it. Today was one of those days.

Moving On

2011-10-26T21:55:00.000-07:00

Today was our last visit to the pediatric dentist.

Katelyn is 18 now and found it insulting to be going to a "kids" dentist.

So she will be going to the dentist Dave and I see.

Carson thinks he shouldn't have to see any dentist.

But since he doesn't get to make those decisions, he will be going to the dentist Dave and I see.

So Dave can drag Carson along when he goes to the dentist.

It was strange to say good-bye to people we have seen every 6 months for the last 10 1/2 years.

We said good-bye not because we didn't like their service or because we were moving out of the area.

We said good-bye because we out-grew them and are moving on.

I'm kind-of sad that today came. It was a reminder that the kids are getting older.

We'll miss you KidSmile Dental. It's been great knowing you.

Shadows

2011-10-24T17:48:00.000-07:00

As I was eating lunch today I watched the shadows out my backdoor. My deck and backyard were bathed in beautiful sunlight. The trail behind my house was sunny and bright. But just beyond the trail was shaded and in a shadow. I know this is not the first time that I have seen shadow and sun juxtaposed next to each other. But as I watched the shadow today dissipate as the cloud moved ever so slightly and the area that had once been shaded become light, I reflected not only on the post written by friend, Jessica, but also my own life. The shadow and light became a metaphor for life.

On first impulse I thought about the shadow and light being like the old saying: "the light at the end of the tunnel". But I realized that it wasn't quite the same. I thought about my experience biking through a mile-long tunnel on the Hiawatha trail. When in that tunnel it was so dark that I really focused solely on the pinprick of light far in the distance. It was so dark that I couldn't really tell how others in the tunnel were doing. I just kept moving cautiously forward toward the light. And all the while everyone in the tunnel was communicating, encouraging the others forward. It was a relief once we all got to the light at the end of the tunnel.

One might think that just being in the shadow would be easier. After all, you can see everything. Ah, but sometimes it is just the ability to see everything that is the very problem. If being in the shadow is a metaphor for being depressed, feeling down, rejected, etc. seeing people out enjoying the light can be debilitating. The questions of self-doubt and fairness (why me? what's wrong with me? why do they get to enjoy the sun?) begin to creep in even more. And sometimes because the difference between the shadow and light is so subtle, those enjoying the sun may not realize that they are literally standing right next to someone who is in a shadow--just like what I observed out my backdoor today, one side of the trail was in the sun and the other in the shadow. People in the shadow of depression, self-pity, trials, challenges, whatever, need just as much encouragement, communication, prayer, as I did when I was in the dark tunnel. But because we can see each other, we might think all is well and forget about the importance of encouraging words and guiding communication.

But what Jessica (and I) discovered is that the shadow doesn't have to last forever; just the slightest shift in the cloud will let in light that will brighten what once was dark. And while we may not have power to shift the real clouds, we do have the power to shift the metaphorical clouds with God's grace. It will most likely take intentional work, concerted effort, and maybe outside help, but it can be done.

After typing this up I realize it made so much more sense in my head. I hope you were able to catch the gist of what I was trying to say.

He Got One

2011-10-22T22:33:00.000-07:00

Well, Dave had a very happy birthday.

He filled his deer tag.

The buck was pronounced dead at approximately 9 a.m.

Dave spent the next 4 hours gutting the deer and hauling it back to the truck.

He was a tired, but happy, birthday boy.

Sorry, Charlie, this is too big to make into a decoration.

Birthday Post: 41

2011-10-20T07:49:00.000-07:00

No, this is not my 41st birthday post. It is actually how old the Man turns today. He is out doing manly things for his birthday. Mainly, he and his dad ventured back to the hunting grounds to try and kill a deer for meat this winter.

I don't want to gush on and on about how great he is so I'll just share a few pictures. I think the pictures illustrate the happiness he brings to his nuclear and extended families.

Carson really was happy in this picture. I just caught him between smiles.

Yeah, I pretty much hit the jackpot that night long ago when I sat down next to this wrestler from Elma. He's pretty great, balances my craziness, and makes me laugh almost every single day.

I love you man.

Trying Out a New Voice

2011-10-17T16:57:00.000-07:00

Have you seen the Seinfield episode where the guys all comment on Elaine's boyfriend being a close-talker? The guy always had to be right up in their face when he talked with them. Well, I'm not a close-talker, but I am a loud-talker.

My mom says that up until 2nd grade I was a soft-spoken little girl. Then I had Mrs. McCartney as my 2nd grade teacher and she was a loud-talker. I wasn't the same after that year. I don't really remember Mrs. McCartney as a loud-talker, but I do remember that she spoke with authority and the class straightened right up when she spoke.

I liked the thought of speaking with authority so I guess subconsiously I adopted Mrs. McCartney's loud vocalization. Add to that, the fact that I grew up in a large, noisy family (there were 7 of us), and one might begin to understand why I became a loud-talker. My loud-talking gets worse (I mean louder) when I'm excited or passionate about something that I am speaking of.

But I've decided that if I can learn that trait, I can also un-learn that trait. There wasn't some precipitating event for trying to learn to speak in a softer tone. Over the last month or so I have just become more aware of how loud I sometimes speak compared to others around me. And so today, as I was doing vision/hearing screenings, I decided that I was going to try speak in a softer tone. It seemed like a fun challenge for today. It is taking a concerted effort on my part to remember to speak more quietly, but I'm up for trying it out for a few days. We'll see how it goes and if anyone notices.

PS Yes, my hearing is perfectly OK and not the reason for my loud-talking.

An Evening with Kate

2011-10-15T17:20:00.000-07:00

The boys left for deer camp yesterday. Katelyn didn't have any plans with friends and I finally didn't have some sort of meeting that kept me from getting home before 8 p.m., so we decided to go see a movie. Katelyn had previously expressed interest in seeing Footloose and since it was not on the boys' "must see" list, going to see Footloose was exactly what Kate and I did last night.

It was a fun night together. We sang out loud the title song when it played in the opening scene. We giggled at the same parts and shifted uncomfortably in our seats at the same time during the "sexed up" scenes (I say "sexed up" compared to the original version). She wouldn't let me take a picture of us together because she said she takes terrible pictures, but I submit to you this picture as evidence that she exaggerates her inability to look good in pictures...

The photo she picked to go in the yearbook.
Photo by Randi Brunt

Today as I thought about our night out last night I realized that our relationship is starting to slowly shift to a different level. Up until now our relationship has really been parent/child but last night it started to feel like a little bit more like friend. I'm not sure that "friend" is exactly the right word but that is the best that I can come up with right now. I know that I will always be her parent and I will always be here to give guidance and advice, but I think now she is close to the time of her life where she learns to fly on her own. I wish I could describe the change I am feeling in a better way, but maybe some parent of grown children can help fill in the gaps of what I am trying to say.

Anyway, it was a fun night and I'm glad that I was able to spend it with Kate.

Homecoming 2011

2011-10-10T17:21:00.000-07:00

Katelyn was asked to Homecoming this year. You have no idea how relieved I was when she was asked. The fact that she didn't get asked to any formal dances last year and was only asked to this year's Homecoming 2 weeks before the dance, brought back all of my old anxieties from my high school years. I never got asked to the dances. I only went to a few (3 or 4) formal dances in high school because I asked the guy. I was crushed. Those feelings of "What's wrong with me?" actually lingered for quite awhile after high school, even though I got married just a year after graduating.

I certainly didn't want to project those feelings on to Katelyn and make her feel that something was wrong with her since she didn't get asked to any dances last year. So I tried not to make a big deal out of things when the dances came and went. That also meant that I didn't ask Katelyn how she was feeling about things. But this year was different. A couple of days before she was asked to Homecoming I asked her how she was feeling about not getting asked to a dance. She said, "It's no big deal. I don't ever get asked any way." I was crushed because I could tell by the tone of voice that it was a big deal and it did bother her. I wanted so bad to take that hurt away.

So, yes, I was so relieved when she was asked. And she was absolutely delighted, thrilled, excited, and almost every other positive adjective you can think of.

And wasn't she beautiful on Homecoming night?

How to Decorate a Curio Cabinet

2011-10-08T09:38:00.000-07:00

I have been informed by two of my loyal blog readers that I have not been doing a very good job at keeping up with my blog posts. Apparently they feel that some important happenings have been left undocumented. In order to remedy this, today I will share with you a blog post on decorating.

When Grandma Carol passed away a few weeks ago, David and Carson were called upon to help clear out her apartment. Their efforts were rewarded with one remarkably inappropriate family heirloom and one nice curio cabinet. As long as the family heirloom keeps its barrel on, it is OK and sits on the barrister chest in our kitchen. The curio cabinet was tucked away in a corner of the living room with the thought that I would, at some point in time, fill it up with treasures.

Last Sunday, Carson decided that he would help with filling it with treasures. I heard him fumbling around, rearranging, and carefully placing items for most of the afternoon. I eventually got curious enough to go see what he was so busy placing in the cabinet. This was the scene in the living room...

The boy had decided that the new curio cabinet was the perfect location to display all of his Star Wars figurines and memorabilia. He managed to fill the whole cabinet and still had some things that couldn't fit. I had no idea that he had collected so many Star Wars things. This is the finished product...

Even though it wasn't what I had envisioned going in the curio cabinet, the Star Wars actions will probably stay. They will stay for a couple of reasons. I'm lazy and cheap.

I used to say that I didn't decorate because I didn't really know how to or I didn't have any ideas. Truth be told, I actually do have quite a few good ideas for home decor. I'm just too lazy to actually follow through on those ideas.I don't want to spend my time shopping around for home decor. Decorating isn't really a priority for me so I consider what I've done good enough, even though it is quite minimal.

I also don't like spending money on things that I don't feel are necessities. I realize that home decorating can be done on a budget and even inexpensively, but did you happen to catch the part about me being lazy? Usually decorating inexpensively requires shopping around at thrift stores, garage sales, clearance sales, etc. I have already established that I don't like to do that because it's not a priority and I'm too lazy to dedicate time to things that I don't consider a priority. And I am definitely too cheap to hire a decorator to make up for my lack of initiative and enthusiam regarding decorating.

So, since Carson took the initiative to fill the curio cabinet with his Stars Wars things and I'm too lazy and cheap to spend any time looking for other things to put in the cabinet, that little Star Wars shrine will probably remain intact either until Carson decides he wants those things at his own house someday or I die.

I wonder which will come first?

18 Years Old, Today

2011-10-04T18:31:00.000-07:00

In the past 18 years, this cute little baby...

has grown into this beautiful young woman...

She's pretty dang awesome.

Instead of me listing why I think she is awesome,

if you know her,

please leave a comment

on why you think she is awesome.

Happy Birthday my sweet Kate.

What You Can't Do Without Parent Permission when You are 17 years and 361 days old

2011-10-01T17:28:00.000-07:00

Katelyn has known since she was 12 years old that she could get her ears pierced any time she wanted. She gets terrible anxiety just thinking about getting her ears pierced. It probably has to do with hearing my ear-piercing story one too many times. Her father's rendition of the ear-piercing scene in Parent Trap also was overwhelming for her and not the least bit comforting. So she has just avoided this rite of passage. Up until last night that is.

Last night her best friend texted her and said "I get off at 7. Do you want to finally go get your ears pierced?" I should mention that this friend has a bucket list of things for Katelyn to do--ear-piercing, having a smoothie from Jamba Juice, things of that nature. Anyway, Katelyn texted back, "Sure." Since Dave, Carson and I were heading out to the Homecoming football game, we thought it would be a good thing for her to do with her friend. The only caution I gave her was to think carefully about the ear rings she picked because she would have to wear them for 6 weeks without changing them.

About half-time, Dave gets a phone call from Katelyn. Apparently minors can't get any piercings done without a parent being present. I should have been more sympathetic, but I started laughing as soon as I heard her predicament. She begged and pleaded for Dave to come to the mall and sign the form. Dave quickly handed me the phone, stating "I'm too much of a softy. You talk to her." I told her there was no way I was coming to the mall. She asked me to give the phone back to Dave so she could talk to him again. I did and surprise of all surprises, Dave stuck to his guns and said he wasn't going to make it to the mall. I did tell her before I handed the phone back to Dave that I would be glad to take her the next day (today) to get her ears pierced.

So today was the day. Katelyn and I returned to the shop she was at last night. One of the girls that was working today, was working last night and remembered Katelyn. Katelyn picked out a nice pair of CZ ear rings and prepared for the gun.

Oh, I need to interrupt here and say that her friend managed to convince her to get her ears pierced by telling her that at this shop they put a numbing cream on your ears and you don't feel a thing. Story continues...

So Katelyn is sitting in the chair and asks about the numbing cream. The ear piercing lady said that they don't use the cream for ears because it doesn't make any difference. Katelyn just about called it quits right then, but the lady did a pretty good job at letting her know everything would be alright. She then proceeds with cleaning Katelyn's ear lobes and drawing the location dots on her lobes.

So far, so good. The lady calls over another girl to come and help so that they could do both ears at once. I know they could tell Katelyn was nervous and wanted to do both ears at the same time to get it over with. Well, now Katelyn is saying "I don't think I can do this. I really don't think I can do this." The store is starting to fill with customers and the ear-piercing ladies are getting a little frustrated. They put both guns up to Katelyn's ears and...

She pulls away and covers her ears. Ugh!

The ladies say that they will give us a minute and will wait on the other customers. Poor Kate is almost in tears at this point and feels bad because she knows we can't get our money back. I told her it was OK and that if she wanted to leave she could. She kind-of gathered herself together and I let her just sit and calm down.

While she was sitting, I causually walked up to the counter and asked the ladies if they couldn't please just put some numbing cream (or a placebo for all I cared) on her ears. I told them that really would make all the difference for her. One of the ladies finished up with her customer and put some cream on Kate's ears.

Holy cow, once that cream was on (still not sure if it was the real stuff or not), Kate, while not completely comfortable, was at least able to count them down and followed through on getting her ears pierced. It was over before she could even blink.

Yay!

She did say after we left the store how embarrassing her level of anxiety and refusal to let them pierce her ears was. I just agreed and said she needs to retrain her brain and find some better coping skills.

I took her out for a celebration lunch after that.

Finally, Not Cold Cereal

2011-09-28T18:28:00.000-07:00

I finally planned ahead and got a dinner prepared for tonight.

It was nothing fancy. Oven bbq'd chicken, carrot sticks, fruit.

I was so proud of myself to finally have prepared a family meal.

I think it was the first time for this school year.

But it was just Carson and me.

That seems to be how it has gone since school started, one or two somebody's are always gone for dinner.

I think that's why we usually just have cold cereal.

Heaven help us when we are empty-nesters. I won't want to be bothered at all to cook.

And eating out is too much of a bother.

Poor Dave. He better improve his culinary skills for his own benefit and survival.

He has a couple of years to figure it out.

Or be prepared to buy stock in a cold cereal company.

I'm Here, Really I Am

2011-09-23T18:33:00.000-07:00

Things have been busy.

Busier than usual it feels like.

The last two weeks, we have had something on the calendary every night. (sometimes more than one thing).

I can't even remember everything that has kept us out of the house.

If you saw our kitchen table you would know we have been busy.

Because it is covered with papers.

It only gets covered with papers when we haven't been home to eat family dinners.

We've gone through almost 12 boxes of cereal the last 2 weeks because that is our "go to" meal when things are crazy.

I want things to become less busy.

But busy is actually good.

It keeps my mind off of things like the fact that Katelyn is a senior and turning 18 in a couple of weeks.

Busy also keeps me distracted from the sadness I feel about Grandma Carol's passing.

She passed this morning. She will leave a hole that will never completely fill.

Busy helps fill the hole. But sometimes during the busy, I find myself tripping over that hole and then my eyes starting leaking because of the hurt.

Champagne Dreams on a Beer Budget

2011-09-13T19:16:00.000-07:00

We are shopping for a new car.

I don't like the process at all.

We are in a transition time, not quite ready to completely get rid

of the SUV, but also ready for something a little smaller.

I want something with the bells and whistles.

I'm ready for something with the bells and whistles.

Our finances can't quite support something with the bells and whistles.

Because we pay cash for our cars.

The SUV has been a good car, but it's starting to show its age.

We would like to replace it sooner rather than later.

Did I already mention that our cash reserves are not quite there yet?

So what are we looking for?

I have no idea!

But here are my must haves:

Somewhat practical...

(meaning cargo area for the dog & gear)

Good gas mileage

Reliable

Under 30,000 miles

Heated leather seats

Dual front power seats

Sunroof

All-wheel drive

Power liftgate

Rear back-up sensors

Sirius radio set-up

Bluetooth capability

Smokin' deal

Any suggestions?

Blech, It was a Long Week

2011-09-11T08:24:00.000-07:00

I forget how hard it is to adjust to the working full-time gig. The lazy days of summer overnight turn into a frenetic-paced long days of work. Everyone is tired, which causes crankiness. The crankiness raises the stress level of all family members and tension in the house is palpable. I know it will calm down after a couple of weeks, but for now it's "blech."

There isn't a first day of school picture because the kids didn't have to go to school until 11:15 a.m. on the first day of school; therefore, they weren't ready when I had to go to school. I missed documenting Katelyn's "last first day of school." Blech. But at least I got a "second day of school" picture. And for some reason, the picture is turning out all fuzzy when I post it to the blog. Blech.

I'm so inundated with paperwork at work that I haven't been able to see any kiddos. Blech.

Carson missed his first driver with the driving school. That cost us an additional $30. Blech.

Katelyn got to the testing center late so she couldn't take her ACT. She called to tell me that and I really snapped at her. Blech.

Worrying about Katelyn getting into college totally stresses me out. When I'm stressed, I turn into a not very nice mom. Blech.

I thought I finally found a new car to buy. The sales manager was a total jerk and kept us waiting for the numbers while he was out smoking a cigarette. Then once he found out we weren't interested in financing, he was no longer interested in ~~negotiating~~ selling the car. We wasted a whole afternoon. Blech.

Last night we went to the fair. But Katelyn refused to go. I was hoping that she would grant us just this one last "going to the fair as a family" tradition. But she didn't. Blech.

Today is 9/11/2011. It is the 10th anniversary of the terror attacks on the United States. And now I seem like a total jerk and whiner for blogging about how bad my week was last week. Blech.

It's got to get better next week, right?

A Parenting Success? I Think So.

2011-09-04T19:49:00.000-07:00

Carson doesn't usually offer up much talk about what was discussed in priesthood class, even when prodded and asked specific questions. And he for sure doesn't bring it up on his own, except for today. Today, the lesson irritated him and he told us all about it. It was a good conversation.

The lesson was on the delicate nature of women. The teacher spoke of how women needed to be treated with care because they are delicate. He also stated that women should stay home and cook and clean, but shouldn't be expected to do such things as yard work. Ugh! Are you kidding me? I had no idea this was still a commonly held notion taught to the young men. Carson was so offend by this lesson because he felt that it greatly diminished women and made women sound as if they didn't have any ability to fend for themselves or express any sort of coherent, intelligent thought.

I was so proud to hear that Carson had the good sense to state that in our family everyone is treated equally and that he wasn't buying into the notion that "women are delicate". The teacher didn't believe that was really the case. The teacher told Carson that he thought surely the girls in our family would never be asked to do such a thing as scoop up the dog poop because "they were daddy's little princesses." Carson replied that indeed it is Katelyn who scoops the yard while Carson mows. He also went on to say that he unloads the dishwasher and Katelyn loads it. Carson could have also shared that they are expected to sort their own laundry on laundry day, help fold the clothes, and are responsible for putting away their own clothes. He also could have shared how I am the one who pays the bills and has a better idea of the budget although major purchases are discussed between both parents, and sometimes the whole family. Carson could have shared that I have a higher college degree than David. But I think he shared enough to get the point across that while women need to be treated with respect, they do not need to be treated as delicate, fragile flowers.

The conversation then turned to what lessons are presented in Young Women's. Katelyn said that the young women's lessons usually revolve around how the girls have to help the young men honor their priesthood and not behave immorally because, you know, boys will be boys and all they think about is sex. I find this message as equally disturbing as the message that Carson heard in priesthood. Basically, the girls are being taught that men are bad and it's only the sweet-spirited girls who can save them from themselves. Fortunately, Katelyn realizes that boys are responsible for themselves and she is responsible for herself and her actions. She expects boys to treat her with respect, and she treats them with respect.

We finished the discussion stating that if you just treat everyone with respect, you can't go wrong. We also talked about the fact that whether you are a girl or a boy does not automatically relegate you to certain roles. You can pretty much do anything you set your mind to. David and I both testified that above all else, being a parent is the best job in the world and we loved both of them very much and were proud of them for standing up and sharing how things work in our family.

Whisperings of the Spirit

2011-08-31T11:52:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday's lesson was on Elder Bednar's talk The Spirit of Revelation. There were the usual stories shared about how listening to the Holy Ghost and following the prompting provided an immediate manifestation that the right thing had been done. The teacher did try to acknowledge that not always do the manifestations come quickly. One sister shared that is how her husband felt about their move to Spokane--they felt very inspired/prompted to move, but thus far no overt sign of why they are here has been given. But even with the teacher guiding the discussion towards "we don't always know right away why we received a certain prompting" and the sister sharing her story, the other comments kept revolving around the theme of immediate manifestation. Up until about 10 months ago, this lesson would have left me feeling very sad and incomplete because most of my interactions with the Spirit have revolved around inspiration of where to find a lost/misplaced object (usually my car keys or wedding ring). I identified myself in the quote from Elder Bednar:

We as members of the Church tend to emphasize marvelous and dramatic spiritual manifestations so much that we may fail to appreciate and my even overlook the customary pattern by which the Holy Ghost accomplishes His work...I have talked with many individuals who question the strength of their personal testimony and underestimate their spiritual capacity because they do not receive frequent, miraculous, or strong impressions. (emphasis added).

I am guilty of the emphasis added part. I often doubted by spiritual capacity because I didn't have what I considered quintessential stories of personal revelation. I felt like a failure and a fake because I didn't seem to be the visiting teacher who had the inspiration to drop off a plate of cookies at the right time. Or the neighbor who just "knew" that someone needed to be visited at that very moment. I was never a missionary who was guided to just the right door. I felt like I must not be doing something right because I didn't have any dramatic stories to share.

Oh and how I wanted to have some of those stories. I prayed fervently that I might be that inspired visiting teacher, neighbor, member missionary, etc. I tried hard to be in tune with the Spirit and sensitive to His whisperings. I remember one time that I thought for sure that I had felt an inspiration to visit a certain sister. I thought as I was driving to her house, "yes, finally I will be that person who come just at the right moment." And yet when I arrived at the sister's house all well was well. I'm sure she was glad for my visit, but she sure didn't appear to need anything and she didn't express that she had been praying for someone to visit. I left feeling defeated and questioning whether I felt the Spirit at all. Another time I thought I felt inspired to give a copy of the Book of Mormon to a dear friend. I was nervous to do so, but I felt the inspiration. I trusted the advice given in all the lessons and talks about missionary work that if we just follow the inspiration everything will work out and often times the friendship will be strengthened. Unfortunately, that was not my experience. My friend slowly began to distance herself from me and never acknowledged receiving the Book. Again, I felt like a failure and questioned why in the world I was not hearing the Holy Ghost properly.

I believe that those feelings of inadequacy were significant contributors to my crisis of faith last October. Why should I continue with being a Mormon, if I couldn't even correctly identify the whisperings of the Holy Ghost and didn't have any stories to show how righteously I was living. In my mind, righteous living was evidenced by the number of stories you had to share about following promptings and immediately seeing the results. My inspiration to find lost items seemed so elementary, nay, rudimentary. Shouldn't I be more developed than that in my relationship with the Holy Ghost? After all, I have been a member whole life and received the gift of having the Holy Ghost as my constant companion at age 8. As I struggled with my weakening testimony, I turned once again to my Heavenly Father and He did indeed answer my prayers.

He enlightened my mind. I realized that the types of stories I was seeking to add to my life were not necessarily my gift. The Holy Ghost whispered to me at other times and for other purposes. The Spirit always guided me as I was writing the Primary program for the years I was serving in the Primary Presidency. He always guides me as I prepare talks or lessons. I have people witness to me that His presence has been felt as I have given the lesson and guided the discussion. I really can't discount those inspirations for finding lost objects; those are small manifestations to me that my Heavenly Father loves me and is concerned about all aspects of my life. Most importantly the Holy Ghost provides inspiration and guidance in decisions that will be important to my family.

I am grateful for Elder Wirthlin's wise words:

The Lord did not people the earth with a vibrant orchestra of personalities only to value the piccolos of the world. Every instrument is precious and adds to the complex beauty of the symphony. All of Heavenly Father's children is different to some degree, yet each has his own beautiful sound that adds depth and richness to the whole.

I have learned that we all hear the whisperings of the Spirit in different ways and for different purposes. Some are gifted to hear the whisperings that guide them to the soul that is in need of comfort or direction. Others are gifted to hear the whisperings to save them or someone else from danger. And still others are gifted to hear the whisperings of the Holy Ghost as lessons, talks (and maybe even blog posts) are prepared.

I've also learned that I am OK and when I find myself starting to compare myself to others I just remember the words of Elder Wirthlin. And the words on a small figurine I used to have when I was young, "God don't make no junk."

Blog-writing Brain Block

2011-08-29T19:03:00.000-07:00

I have several ideas for blog posts, but my brain is tired and sitting down to blog causes all thoughts to flee immediately. But I was productive in other ways today.

I bottled 10 quarts of peaches. I took Carson back-to-school clothes shopping. It was easier than expected and we were successful in the endeavor. We also made a short trip to Costco. And I made a ymmy dinner for Dave and me--grilled portabello burgers with provolone cheese. Carson balked at eating the mushroom burger so he had a bowl of cereal.

Tomorrow is a full work day reviewing immunization records and getting geared up for the first day of school. And maybe I'll get one of those post ideas blogged.

Trying Not to Fail at Parenting

2011-08-22T08:04:00.000-07:00

OK, Mom and Dad, you can now rest comfortably knowing that what goes around does indeed come around. This week has been a rough week with one particular teen-ager. I'm pretty sure she thinks I'm trying to ruin her life. The other night she asked when we were going to cut the leash that we have on her.

Then yesterday on the way home from church we were having the same tired conversation we have had all week and she said to me "Do you even know what it is to be a teen-ager?" I guess she figured I had just somehow skipped from 12 to 20, missing all of those years in between. The problem is that I remember quite well what it is to be a teen-ager and the realities of being a teen-ager so of course that knowledge/memories will be employed while parenting of teen-agers.

But just to make sure that I'm not being overly harsh and a total kill joy, I'll ask for your opinion on the situation. Would you let your teen-age daughter go with several friends (boys and girls) to Leavenworth for a tubing trip? There will be no parents going so the kids will be driving themselves in one car, maybe 2 depending on the number of kids going. It's a four hour drive with much of it on a 2-lane highway.

I'm sure you can probably guess what our answer was since the teen-ager is accusing of us of keeping her on a leash. And she is mad that we have been completely unapologetic about our answer.

Wow, That Was Totally Inappropriate

2011-08-18T20:03:00.000-07:00

Dave wrestled in college. He spent a lot of time at the gym and athletic training room. Dave was also pretty bad at reading flirting or come-ons. He was hit on A LOT by girls who were working in the training room. Dave would come home at least twice a week telling me about another girl who had asked him out. I would often laugh as he was recounting the conversation because it was pretty clear how clueless he was that the girl was working up to asking him out. It never bothered me that he would come home with these stories.

However, today Dave came home with a story that really got my hackles up. Apparently at his place of employment there is a group of ladies who often make comments about how the guys dress, how they look, the guys' bodies, etc. Now I suppose if they kept their comments to themselves I would give them a pass, but today they totally crossed the line.

Dave's recounting of the incident goes something like this. He walked in to the area where these ladies work to discuss some work situation with one of them. As he approaches the ladies hush their voices and start to laugh. Dave asked what was so funny. One of the ladies said "Nothing. We were just wondering if we rubbed your stomach could we feel ripples?" Dave said "You will never find out." He also told them that their question was not appropriate.

Dave was totally taken aback by these ladies brashness. I think he must have spent all day worrying that the shirt he wore today was too tight because almost immediately upon walking in the door tonight he said to me, "Is this shirt too tight?" I almost didn't take his question seriously because I don't think David owns any shirts that would be classified as "tight". But I assured him that the shirt was not tight and then I told him that the ladies were way out of line for saying something like that to him.

So while my husband getting asked out on a date might have been funny when we were in college (disclaimer: David never wore his wedding ring in the gym or training room so the girls didn't know he was married), having a group of ladies now asking to rub my husband's stomach is not only not humorous, it is inappropriate and offensive.

What happened to boundaries and common decency?

It's Only a Little More Than a Mile

2011-08-17T17:23:00.000-07:00

A funny thing happens to one's sense of distance when one routinely runs distances greater than 5 miles. Your sense of what is far and not far changes. What once seemed far and impossible, now is short and totally doable. That's what I noticed today.

This afternoon I had a Relief Society presidency meeting. The meeting was at the secretary's house. Her house is only a little over a mile away from my house. I had been driving around all morning doing errands and the last thing I wanted to do was get back in the truck and drive to her house. So I decided to walk.

It felt good to walk. As I was walking, I thought about how my perspective about distances had changed. A few years ago, a mile would have seemed far. Now? Just a short little 20 minute walk.

While I was walking I wondered if the pioneers had the same type of shift in perspective and that is how they were able to walk and walk and walk each day. And then I wondered if it was really hard to get going on Monday and Monday's miles seemed much harder than the rest of the weeks?

Blowing His Mind

2011-08-12T10:40:00.000-07:00

This week I've done a few things that have completely surprised Dave.

First, fly-fishing. I didn't actually go fly-fishing, but I did attend a fly-fishing class on Tuesday.

Granted, it was a Relief Society activity.

And David was the one teaching.

But, still, I was there and tried my best to learn how to cast a fly line.

David is blown away thinking I might fish with him someday.

Second, hemming. Yes, I did indeed hem a pair of pants for David.

Dave often jokes that he had to a have daughter so his buttons can be sewn on

and his pants hemmed.

He's not far off.

Except, I think he should learn how to do those things himself.

Not his daughter (or wife).

But, Wednesday I took pity on him and hemmed a pair of pants for him.

David is blown away with the knowledge that I can actually hem.

Third, first drives.

Carson got his permit yesterday.

Dave and I decided long ago that he would be the one

to take the kids out on their first drives.

But since I was on a roll surprising Dave,

I took Carson on his first drive.

It was only in the CV high school parking lot.

I only said "Carson!" once.

Dave was blown away when he learned I actually did

take Carson on his first drive.

What a fun week.

Should be good for a few reciprocal surprises for our anniversary.

Which is coming up in a couple of weeks.

I Wonder if I Need a High Sodium Diet

2011-08-08T07:29:00.000-07:00

Saturday morning I tried to run 8 miles with a group of friends. I prefer to run early (5 a.m.) before it gets too hot. These ladies balk at the thought of running before 7, particularly on a Saturday. I really wanted to run with them because I think they're pretty cool and we had to discuss my recent post on the VLC. So, even though it was pushing the high 60's on Saturday morning, I joined them.

I prepared well that morning, getting up early to make sure I had taken in enough fluids. This included 4 oz of water at about 2 hours before the run and then 8 oz of electrolyte drink 1 hour before the run. Fifteen minutes before I ran, I took 2 Shot Bloks. I also took a gu with me on the run along with the electrolyte drink. I'm not sure what else I should have done to prepare and care for myself on the run.

I didn't wear my Garmin (oh yeah, I got a new one for my birthday) so I'm not sure what our pace was. I do know that we were able to have a good discussion about the VLC as well as talking to kids about sex. I was really enjoying being with these ladies. Nevertheless, I'm guessing it was about mile 4 when I started to notice auras in front of my eyes. The next mile or so included chills, decreased sweating, tingling in my hands, and occassional dizziness. It was probably around mile 6 when I sent the ladies on their way and I finished the last mile and 3/4 on my own alternating running with walking.

You have no idea how frustrating this is for me! I'm a good runner, but add a little heat and I crumble. My body just can't do it and I feel like a complete wimpy idiot. As I was finishing the run, I was thinking about what else I could do and about how badly I had to pee. The fact that my body was telling me I had to pee was frustrating because, as far as I was concerned, there shouldn't have been any fluid left in my body with how crappy my run was going. And no, this sense of full bladder had nothing to do with having a couple of kids and now being 40. I had to stop at the Athletic Club so I could use the bathroom. Warning: TMI to follow. My urine was almost completely clear and it wasn't just a couple of drops.

That made no sense to me so I got to wondering if I lose too much sodium through my sweat (I look like I'm frosted before I'm done running) and if that sodium loss interferes with my body's ability to use the water that I do take in. If water is supposed to be used to aid in cooling, and my body isn't using it efficiently, maybe that is why I can't tolerate the heat. I don't even know if that makes sense. I also wonder if my spongey kidney impacts this whole sodium/water balance.

While running, I realized that this isn't the first time that I have had the full bladder issue during a run. But interestingly enough, it only occurs during the runs where the temp is greater than 60 degrees and I feel too hot. That is what started me thinking about the water/sodium balance. I meant to write that with the original post, but hit "publish" before I typed it.

The VLC

2011-08-02T11:58:00.000-07:00

Have you heard of the VLC? I wasn't real familar with this particular club until a couple of months ago when I was walking with some ladies from church. They were speaking about the club and hoping that their daughters would maintain their membership until after high school. The moms were also talking about the incentives/rewards being offered to the daughters if they remained a member. Since I wasn't familar with the club and the moms were talking about significant chunks of change being offered to their daughters, I finally asked what the VLC was.

The answer....

The Virgin Lips Club

I hadn't ever heard of such a thing. I asked about "membership" for boys and if I remember correctly, the moms didn't indicate that the same incentives were offered to their boys. It would have never occurred to me to offer Katelyn some serious money in exchange for her never kissing a boy while she is in high school. But now that she is going out on an "outing" tomorrow with a boy from work, I may be interested in learning more about this "club".

Of course offering this option to Katelyn would mean that I would have to ignore all that I think is wrong with this "club". I don't like the double standard that appears to be set up by only focusing on the girls never kissing a boy. Of course, each family sets up their own membership standards so obviously if this were established in our family, both children would be offered the opportunity. However, the biggest problem I have with this club is I don't believe people should be paid for obedience. Paying for obedience delays the important transition of learning to obey out of love rather than thought of reward. I think the teen-age years, with all of the establishing of independence, maturing, etc., are the perfect time to begin making this transition to a more mature level of obedience.

Lowering the Rope and Bringing It Back Up

2011-08-01T07:27:00.000-07:00

I'm teaching in Relief Society next Sunday. I've known for about a month that I would be teaching so I have been thinking about teaching topics. A few weeks ago I was reading an article in the Ensign. The article was about Christ as the Living Water and drinking deeply from the His well.

As I was reading, this paragraph hit me like a ton of bricks...

I wonder if we who get clean water from taps in our homes

sometimes expect to come to Christ with the same ease

as turning a knob to get a glass of water.

I must have reread that particular paragraph 3 or 4 times as I thought about how that applies to my life. I pictured the living water in the bottom of a well. Reading scriptures, attending my meetings, praying, etc. are the things that lower the bucket to the water, but what must I do to get the bucket back up so I can partake of the water? Hefting the rope back up takes work and I think that is what that particular paragraph was saying to me.

I spent my devotional time at Young Women's Camp contemplating the work that I must do to get the bucket back up. Reading scriptures, attending meetings and praying are all relatively easy for me, and while important, are not necessarily enough to allow me to feel fully filled by Christ. My work is going to include such things as being more grateful for all of my blessings and expressing that gratitude more often; continuing to discover and develop those talents that my Heavenly Father has blessed me with and using those talents to glorify God (Matthew 5:16); continuing to serve; finding and expressing charity (1 Corinthians 13: 4-7); and giving away all my sins to know God (Alma 22:18).

As the last item, giving away all my sins, came into my mind I really stopped to think about that. I know there are things I hold on to just because they are easy and familar and sometimes change is hard. It's easy to be sarcastic. Sometimes it's easier to hold onto the belief that I am right rather than apologize and move on. Oh, there are so many more, but those are two are the only ones I choose to admit to right now.

So, what do you think? Will this make a good Relief Society Lesson?

Happy Birthday, Boy

2011-07-30T08:44:00.000-07:00

Dear Carson,

Today you turn 15. I can hardly believe that 15 years has passed by so quickly. I'm sure I will say that last part every year-- "I can't believe (insert year) has passed by so quickly."

Having you as a member as our family has been a true blessing. Your quirky sense of humor has provided many stories that will live on for years and years. Your questioning nature, while at times frustrating for parents, will serve you well as you learn and grow. I just caution you to always be mindful of the Holy Ghost and continually pray to our Heavenly Father as you are seeking for answers and understanding.

Yellowstone, July 2011

You spent this last week in Yellowstone with your dad and Grandpa Graham. I can tell that your love cupboard was filled during this last week as you got to spend quality time with those two. How can I tell? Because your eyes were bright and your wonderful smile was on your face all night. I was also able to tease you a little about all of the cute girls I met while I was at Girl's Camp and how I could fix you up at the next stake dance. We'll try to keep that cupboard filled so we can enjoy your smile and laugh.

You are a hard worker, even though sometimes it takes a little pushing to get you going. Learning to work hard is an important life skill and will be necessary as you venture out on your own. Your father is a wonderful example of a hard worker. Watch and learn from him. You will learn from him that you can work hard but also play hard once the work is done. Learn to apply that work ethic not just to physical labor but also to your schooling.

Work on strengthening your relationship with your sister. When you were younger, you two were very close. When we would visit Grandpa Lee and Grandma Flo, the two of you would play together all day in the lake. Grandma Flo often commented on how wonderful it was that you two were such great friends. I know that as you get older it is easy to drift apart as you each become involved in your own activities and find other friends. I get that. But I would still encourage you to take the time to find out what fills her love cupboard so that you can find that friendship once again. (Yes, of course, I will give this same advice to your sister, but today this letter is to you.)

I love you, Boy. I love being your mom.

Love,
Mom

Taking a Stab at Carson's Homework

2011-07-24T22:22:00.000-07:00

Carson is taking an independent-study creative writing course this summer. I was so impressed when he picked this course out of all the available independent study courses. He actually is quite a good writer so I'm excited to see the growth that will surely occur with taking this course.

Watching Carson work on this course has stirred a dream I haven't thought about since I was in about 4th grade. When I was in elementary school I really wanted to be a writer. I had a notebook full of stories, thoughts/ideas, and plays. As I got older and became more self-conscious about my perceived lack of talent, I buried that dream and never really thought more about it--until now. The other day Carson shared with me one of the prompts that he was given to use as a starting point for a one-page story. I don't know how much Carson has worked on developing a story from this prompt, but I have spent several nights developing the story in my head. Now I just need to put it down on paper and maybe share it.

Maybe I have a project for my 40's--rekindling that writing dream.

Can I Reclaim the Gift if It Hasn't Ever Been Used?

2011-07-21T13:28:00.000-07:00

I find giving gifts to teen-agers a precarious adventure. I hate asking for a list as much as my teen-agers hate making the list. My aversion to asking for a list is that I find it a manifestation of my failure as a parent to really know my child. The need to ask for a list means that I have not been as attentive to their likes/dislikes in order to successfully pick out a desired gift--at least that what it means to me. I'm not sure why my kids drag their feet in making a list, but perhaps it is because they feel like I should know them well enough to not need a list.

Eventually, they usually comply with the request and we do our best to accommodate their wish list. Although, I must admit, there have been times when Dave and I have gone rogue and not purchased anything from the provided list. That usually only occurs when the requested items are beyond our ability to provide, such as the time that Carson asked for a tree large enough in which to build a tree house.

So with all of that said, I am now at the subject for today's post. Last year's Katelyn's Christmas list included just a few items. First was clothes, usually a safe gift as long as a gift receipt is included. Next was make-up. Then there was a laptop and i-phone, neither of which was in the budget. There were a few other items that I can't remember. Last, but not least, was an i-pod nano.

All of the received Christmas gifts have been used with the exception of...

The i-pod nano

Yep, the nano and the $50 gift card sit in her room completely untouched. Actually it's worse than untouched. They remain unopened. Discarded, as if they were completely unwanted, even though they were on the list.

I could use the nano. It would be nice, on occassion, to run with some tunes. I haven't purchased a nano for me because I'm just too cheap to buy one just for me. But if there is one in the house that has been unopened for over 6 months, does it become fair game? Can I take it back? It's tempting. It may happen. We'll just have to see.

I Tri'd at Hayden Lake

2011-07-18T08:37:00.000-07:00

As you might guess, I am the one putting on the yellow cap

About a month ago I was running with some ladies from church. They were busy talking about their training. I asked what they were training for and they said the Hayden Lake Triathlon. I just tucked that little tidbit of information into my brain and didn't say much other than "good luck."

Well as so often happens, that little tidbit continued to grow and the thought of doing a triathlon became appealing again. I was a little nervous about getting ready because of the short timeline--4 weeks really isn't a lot of time to train. Fortunately, I had a really strong cardiovascular base from all of my running so I really only needed to get my arms ready to swim a 1/2 mile and my legs ready for a 12 mile bike ride followed by a 3 mile run.

I had some other friends who were training for a triathlon the week before the Hayden Lake triathlon so I hopped in with them on their training schedule. Training with friends is so much better than training on your own.

I felt ready to roll on Saturday. I was as prepared as I could be.

Don't I look confident and excited? OK, maybe it was a forced smile, but I was excited & feeling pretty confident.

The race went pretty well. My swim was about what I expected it to be. The thing I felt happiest about with the swim was that I finally started out aggressive and didn't hyperventilate. My bike was way faster than I expected it to be--a lot faster than I had trained. That was good and bad news. Good because it was fast. Bad because my body wasn't used to where my heart rate was at as I transitioned to the run. Because my heart rate was more elevated that I was used to, my run was a little slower than it had been during my training, but I was still able to finish strong.

Goal finish time was 1 hour 30 minutes. Actual finish time was 1 hour 31 minutes. Overall, it was a good race. I was so grateful for my support crew (David, Carson, and my friend Marla). I'm pretty sure that I'll do this one again next year; hopefully with the same group of ladies from church.

The ladies who inspired me to tri again.

A Visit to Mt. St. Helens

2011-07-14T14:01:00.000-07:00

May 18, 1980.

Does that date have any significance for you?

It doesn't mean a whole lot to me, but it is a day that was a big deal for Dave.

His dog, Ginger, had puppies.

Oh, and Mt. St. Helens blew its top.

Dave was 10 and living in Elma, WA when the mountain erupted. He said he can remember having to wear masks whenever they went outside. He also remembers it getting dark and the ash falling all around. The news stories are etched in his mind.

Last weekend (particularly Saturday) was a bright, clear day. The mountain was visible for much of the time once one went south from Centralia. Dave was fascinated by the mountain and would watch for it around every bend. He was looking forward to stopping and seeing it up close on Sunday.

Sunday wasn't as bright and crisp as Saturday, but good enough that we could stop and still see something. We stopped at the Visitor's Center at the base, but didn't spend much time there as there was an admission charge. I did get a picture from that Visitor's Center.

We proceeded up the highway, through Toutle and a few other small towns. The whole time, Mt. St. Helens was visible out the passenger's side window. I only had to remind David a handful of times to please watch the road and not the mountain. The highway doesn't actually take you up Mt. St. Helens; maybe it did before the mountain erupted, but the new highway is across the river from Mt. St. Helens.

We finally arrived at Johnstons Ridge Observatory and Visitor's Center. The mountain looked massive from that vantage point. We walked around a little, viewed the film and exhibits in the Visitor's Center, and took a moment to take another picture.

Dave was so glad that he finally got to visit the volcano. The boys kept asking what would happened if it blew again while we were up there--there was steam coming out of one of the lava domes. I asked them if they had learned nothing from the film and observing the landscape around us because to me the answer seemed obvious what would happen if the mountain erupted again while we were there.

On the way down, Carson spotted Sasquatch (his fascination with the legend of Sasquatch is fodder for a whole other blog). We stopped for another picture with the Squatch and a picnic.

And thus ended our visit to Mt. St. Helens.

Oh, and the extra boy in the pictures is my nephew, Skyler.

He Did It--The STP in a Day

2011-07-12T11:10:00.000-07:00

Carson and I spent last Saturday being support crew for Dave as he rode in the Seattle to Portland bike ride. He completed all 204 miles in one day. To me, that is one impressive feat. I'm not sure that I could be that determined. I think a crash like Dave had at the Loreen Miller ride (a century ride he did on Father's Day) would have deterred me from riding a bike for a very long time. But he was a brave soul, got back on the the proverbial horse, and decided not to let the months of training go to waste.

I wasn't super great about getting pictures. I have no start line pictures because I didn't go to the start line with him. He and his brother left Puyallup at 3 o'clock in the morning so they could be at the UW by 4:15. They (Dave, his brother, Mike, and Mike's friend William) left in the first wave of riders at 4:45 a.m. We first saw them as they rode into Spanaway at 8:15 a.m. The guys stopped briefly for a natural break, a chat, and a kiss. The next stop was in Centralia at around 11:15 a.m. The stop was a little longer here because they had lunch. The road trip continued and we saw them again in Winlock. Here I actually remembered to get my camera out and took a picture of Dave.

We missed them at the next stop just outside of Kelso because they were so smokin' fast. We caught them a few miles down the road from the pit stop and fueled them up with good ole Quater Pounders. We saw them one more time in St. Helens, Oregon and then it was on to the finish line at Portland. They rolled into Portland at 6:25 p.m. I did manage to get a few more pictures here.

Crossing the finish line--Dave is the rider in red

Dave and Carson with Carson's version of a support sign.

Dave and his brother, Mike

William, Dave, and Mike

Dave said it was a good ride and he is already looking for the next event for this summer.

On Sunday we stopped at Mt. St. Helen's on the way home, but I'll save those pictures for another post. This post was about Dave for Dave.

Good-bye 30's

2011-07-06T12:27:00.000-07:00

On Sunday I said good-bye to my 30's and welcomed the new decade of life called "the 40's". I did so much during my 30's that I wonder if my 40's will be able to keep up.

In my 30's I:

moved to a new city.
received a 2nd bachelor's degree and a master's degree.
started my first 40 hr/week job because my children were in school full-time.
started this blog.
went on some really great vacations; some places we visited more than once because we had such a great time there.
lived longer with my husband than I did with my parents.
celebrated my 20th wedding anniversary.
had a couple of health scares, but everything worked out OK
became a runner and dabbled with a few triathlons.
ran 5 half-marathons.
had several ups and downs with my testimony, but with each down came a significant amount of spiritual growth.
served in several different callings at church; some I really enjoyed, others not so much.
developed a few really frustrating food allergies.
made some really great friends.
found some new interests, like gardening and photography. Pretty good at the gardening thing, photography not so much.
enjoyed being an aunt and greeting each new niece and nephew.
learned to love my husband in a deeper way and appreciate him for all he does for me and our family (read--became less selfish)
discovered that being a parent to teen-agers is absolute kick and I love it.

I'm sure there were other things that I did in my 30's that should have made this list, but right now they escape me. I hope that doesn't signal a sign of aging--diminished memory. I am looking forward to some of the changes that this next decade will surely bring; others I'm not sure I will embrace so readily (such as the possible post-menopausal weight gain). But most of all I just don't want my time to be a waste. I want to know and follow the plan God has for me.

You Are Now Entering the Twilight Zone

2011-07-05T07:44:00.000-07:00

It all started Sunday night after the birthday party guests had left. Carson had the remote and was channel surfing. He hadn't been flipping through channels for long when he stumbled upon a show that caught his attention. His first exposure to this show was at Disney's Tower of Terror, but until he found it on Sunday, he hadn't really watched any episodes. That would not be the case after Sunday. He discovered that the sci-fi channel was running a Twilight Zone 24-hour marathon. He was fascinated by the show.

Carson continued to be sucked in to the Twilight Zone all day Monday. Every chance he had, he would turn the TV to the sci-fi channel and watch. But what his dad and I didn't realize was just how much Carson was taking in and internalizing. His mind was spinning and thinking. We should have paid more attention and realized how this child's mind works. If we had, we would have cut him off. It would have saved us from the rest of this story if we had.

As I said, all day Monday Carson was watching as much Twilight Zone as he could. I spent much of the day in a Benadryl-induced coma, so I was a little oblivious to his new obsession. Finally, at 10:30 last night, Dave told Carson enough and that he needed to go to bed. Reluctantly, Carson headed to bed, but not until he had made sure the rest of the episodes were set up to be DVR'd. Dave and I headed to be shortly thereafter--probably around 11 p.m. We checked on the kids as we always do and turned out the lights.

Around 11:30, 11:40, the phone rings. Dave jumps to answer it and no one is there. A little weird, but we think nothing of it. About 15 minutes later, the doorbell rings--twice. Again, Dave gets up. This time to see who is at the door. I stand at the top of the stairs and ask who is at the door. Dave says no one is there. Now, I'm starting to get a little annoyed because I really just want to go to sleep. Next thing, the phone rings again. Dave picks up the extension in the kitchen and I get the extension in the bedroom. We can hear something on the other end, but nothing definite. Dave decides to go check to make sure the basement is locked. I see him come back and grab a golf club.

There is some noise and confusion. A "You almost got hit with this," and a distinct chuckle. Up from the basement comes Carson followed by David.

Carson is grounded from watching any more episodes of Twilight Zone.

Trying to Find a Good Balance

2011-06-30T18:27:00.000-07:00

Katelyn is going to be a senior next year. She is also going to be 18 in October. She frequently reminds us of both of these things. She anxious for the independence she thinks turning 18 and being a senior are going to bring her.

I'm trying to figure out how to balance letting go, but also holding on. For example, tonight she is off to a masquarade party. Until about an hour ago, she really didn't have any more details than she was going with a group of friends. I know the friends. I like the friends. I trust the friends. But I was still uncomfortable not having more specifics.

Story interruption: My discomfort with this scenario probably had more to do with me and my antics as a teen-ager than Katelyn. Thus far, Katelyn has never pulled any of the antics that I did as a teen so the angst is my projection.

Resume story: So, I asked Katelyn to get more details, stating "if no specific details, you don't go until we get them." She was awesome and got more details. Unfortunately, the park the party was being held at is in Browne's Addition--not a great part of town. Now my internal debate was about whether to let her go or not because of the location and still not being really clear on who was sponsoring the party and who was supervising. She said it was one of the local Christian churches that was sponsoring the party and there would be plenty of adult supervision.

We let her go. She said she would call if the party wasn't what she expected or things got weird. She also agreed to come home at 11 instead of midnight because I didn't want her out 'til midnight in that part of town.

I'm trying to slowly cut the strings. It's not easy. But it is necessary. That's what we raise kids to be--independent and making good choices on their own.

Splendid and Remarkable

2011-06-27T09:58:00.000-07:00

Being in a better frame of mind today, I thought I should post about a couple of things that I find splendid and remarkable.

First, it is splendid and remarkable to find out that loyalty to a local bike shop can result in a great deal on a new bike. For years now, I have been going to Wheel Sport East when I needed bike stuff. I bought my first road bike there from Josh. Me, being me, had a million questions, stewed over whether or not to spend that much on a bike, and checked out bikes at a couple of other stores. Josh was patient. He knew I would come back to him and the bike at Wheel Sport East. He was right, I did. I did because Josh was the only one from all of the different bike shops that I went to who spent time answering my million of questions, wasn't pushy about selling the bike, and made sure that I was all equipped for riding. So when Dave needed a new bike, I suggested that he go see Josh. Dave, being Dave, had to do his own research/test rides and checked out several bike shops. Once all was said and done, he whittled down the various choices to a Cervelo R2 and a Specialized Tarmac. Both bikes rode about the same, were comparable in price and components. But in the end, Dave chose the Tarmac. How did he decide? Easy. Josh was able to give him a sweet deal on the Tarmac. And why did Josh give him the sweet deal? In Josh's words, "Heather has been coming here for years and she is always sending people in to see me." And that my friends, is why it pays to be a loyal customer and spread the good word.

The second splendid and remarkable thing for today is this...

The boy may hate weeding, but he is always willing to plant the new flowers I buy. He even does the planting without being asked. He takes great care when he does the planting and makes sure that the new transplants receive a good watering as soon as they are in the ground. He has also done a remarkable job in keeping the hanging basket and flower pot on the front porch watered. Great-grandma Flo would be so proud.

Stupid and Annoying

2011-06-24T21:33:00.000-07:00

Ok, I'll admit that I am in a bit of a "mood" (and have just finished off a 32 oz Dr. Pepper) so this post should be taken with a grain of salt, but right now I find the following things stupid and annoying,,,

Food allergies are stupid and annoying, especially when there is no food in the house and I don't feel like going to the grocery store. The rest of the family members can make a quick fast-food run, but it's harder for me to do that. I want to be able eat at Panda Express and not have to worry about a possible anaphylactic reaction. I want to be able to eat a regular hamburger with a regular bun and not have to worry about my stomach hurting and getting a migraine. I want to be able to eat pizza. Ugh.
Environmental allergies are stupid and annoying especially at this time of year when I like to be outside and sleep with the window open at night. If I take an allergy pill at night, then by mid-day I'm itchy, sneezy, and my nose hurts from rubbing it so much. If I try and take the allergy pill in the morning, I'm so rummy-headed that it probably isn't safe for me to do anything but sit at home.
Paying $101 to renew my nursing license is stupid and annoying. I don't mind paying to renew the license, but $101? Why $101? Why not $100 or $105 or some other even amount? $101 is just stupid.
Dr. Pepper gives me heartburn. That is super annoying because Dr. Pepper is one of my favorite sodas and I would like to be able to drink it without getting heartburn--especially since I only drink it as a treat maybe once every other month (or less). Stupid heartburn.
Appliances that are 10+ years old are stupid and annoying because they all die at once. No, nothing has died completely yet, but it's coming I just know it. The microwave turntable makes a horrible noise so I turn off the turntable in an effort to extend the life of the microwave. The dishwasher started smoking tonight, but Dave was able to fix the problem. The self-clean portion of the oven no longer works. I hate the flooring, cupboards, and countertops in the kitchen. I really want to change the carpet in the house. It's stupid and annoying that I completely suck at decorating so even though I really want to up-date the house, the thought stresses me out because I have no clear direction on what I want to do.
Turning 40 is stupid and annoying mostly because I don't think I have really embraced 40 even though it's going to happen (in 9 days) whether I embrace it or not. It's stupid to be so worried about an age. I feel stupid for feeling so unsettled about where I am at in ~~life~~ my career right now. It's annoying to be worrying and wondering if there is something more that I should be doing, but being unable to identify any one thing or "passion" that might guide me in a different direction. Actually, I have several ideas but they are stupid, mostly because they are completely unrealistic.
It's annoying that typing this list did not make me feel any better.

I Know Summer is Here When...

2011-06-24T08:18:00.000-07:00

Well, it's not the weather that clues me in that summer has arrived because lately the weather around here has been more like early spring than summer.

Nope, I know summer is here when my early-bird sleeps in until 8:15. It took him about a week of no school to figure out how to sleep in, but today he did it. His sister never has a problem with the sleeping in part of summer vacation.

Angels Watching Over Him

2011-06-21T07:51:00.000-07:00

It seems that almost everyone has had a time in their life where, in hindsight, they sit back and say "Holy cow, was I lucky. I really dodged a bullet on that one." Dave had such a moment last Sunday. But I firmly believe it wasn't luck. It was angels watching over him.

Dave is training for the Seattle to Portland bike ride. The ride is over 200 miles. Most people do it in two days, but there are a some really crazy people who ride it in one day. Dave falls into the latter group. He has been training really hard to accomplish the goal of being a "one-day rider."

In order to meet that goal, he needed to ride a century ride (100 miles) in June. That was why on Father's Day he was riding in the Loreen Miller Bike ride. The day actually was a good day for bike riding--no rain, cool temperatures, not a lot of wind. Dave was having a great ride. He had managed to fall in with a couple of other guys and they were each taking turns on the front. Because it was Father's Day, Carson and I decided to go as support crew. We met Dave at each food stop. We saw him at the food stop at mile 64. He was feeling great and was looking forward to finishing up the last few miles. Yes, that was how he described his last 36 miles, "just a few miles." I kissed him and said, "See you in 20 miles at the next food stop."

I got a call from Dave as I waiting for him at the next food stop. He said to me, "Can you come get me?" I answered, "Sure, what's up?" "Well, I had a little bit of a wreck," he replied. "OK, I'm on my way. Where are you?" He said, "I have no idea, just look for me on the side of the road."

That was the extent of our conversation. Where I'm prone to exaggeration and hyperbole, Dave is understated and minimalist. So I really had no idea what to expect to see when I finally found him along the roadside. As I was driving to find him, I was trying to watch for road names or mile markers just in case I had to call 9-1-1. I was also having Carson look for a first aid kit in the truck in case I had to do any road-side first aid.

I came upon Dave and another cyclist who had been involved in the crash about 10-15 miles from where I was waiting for him. He was up and walking around--always a good sign. His lip was bleeding a little and he had a lot of road rash on his back and hip. His left elbow was bruised and swollen. He was coherent. He could tell me his name, where he was, what he was doing. His body was bruised, not broken.

But his bike. Oh, his bike. The frame was cracked in two places. The rear wheel was bent, as was the rear wheel fork. There was no more riding this bike. His helmet was not just broken, it was bent and mashed.

After the adreline rush subsided and he had some time to reflect, he realized how blessed he was to have come away from this bike wreck with such relatively minor injuries. This realization was reinforced several times yesterday as he showed his wrecked bike to 3 different bike shops and received the same response at each one "I can't believe your injuries are worse. You were really lucky."

Luck had nothing to do with it. He had angels watching over him on Sunday.

Stealing a Great Idea from St. Louis

2011-06-18T20:09:00.000-07:00

Before my sister-in-law, Maggie, left St. Louis for Rochester, she was invited to participate in a "decorator swap". Watch this link to see how these ladies worked their magic on Maggie's house. Their magic (in addition to lots of work on Dan and Maggie's part) must have worked because Dan and Maggie were able to sell their house pretty quickly--I think it was only on the market for a month or two.

Anyway, I think this is a great idea that should be implemented here in my neck of the woods. My house isn't up for sale, but it sure is in need of a decorator's touch. I wouldn't be much help in generating ideas, but now that school is out, I could certainly provide the "hard work" part.

So how about? Any of you decorators out there who would like to get this "decorator swap" going here? Like I said, I would be a hard worker; I just ask that you start with my house first.

Photo Highlights from Disney World 2011

2011-06-14T07:41:00.000-07:00

Animal Kingdom-Monday, May 23

All of the cousins minus Mike's kids. Mike's family didn't get in until 2 o'clock Monday morning. They needed to get some sleep before playing.

1900 Park Fare--Tuesday, May 24

I'm not sure who was more excited to see Cinderella, the boys or the little girls.

Funny side story: When Carson was about 12 we were playing Apples to Apples. One of the "green cards" said "Someone who is hot". Carson laid down a red card that said "Cinderella."

Hollywood Studios--Wednesday, May 24

Here are most of the girl cousins. All the little girls loved Katelyn and thought she was the best.

Katelyn discovering that often being an "extra" isn't all that glamorous.

Can you believe that not of these cousins fell in the fountain?

Magic Kingdom--Thursday, May 25

Ahh, aren't they cute?

Epcot--Friday, May 27

My "world" travelers

Whispering Canyon--Saturday, May 28

Our last dinner together

See, everyone looks happy. I believe that Disney World truly is a magical place.

Enjoying Disney World to the very last minute. Maddie eating ice cream after midnight on Sunday, May 29th.

Reagan and Maddie as we said our final good-bye's to Disney World at 1 a.m., Sunday May 29th.

Good-bye and good night, Disney World.

See you in 5 years (or maybe sooner if we miss you too much).

A Whole Different Pregnancy

2011-06-10T09:59:00.000-07:00

Surprise, Honey. I thought this would be great way to tell you.

No, I'm just kidding. There is no pregnancy. Instead, this was a phrase my colleague used at the start of this school year when I started to voice my anxiety about a certain situation having the potential to be a repeat of a situation I had several years ago. (I know that is rather obtuse, but because of confidiently reasons I cannot get more specific).

Anyway, during the course of the conversation she said to me "This is a whole different pregnancy". That simple phrase helped me realize that I need to let this situation develop in its own way and stand on its own merits. Having my friend help me see that each situation, while having many of the same components, is unique, helped me adjust my attitude and give the situation a chance to be a positive experience. We are at the end of the school year and, indeed, it was a "different pregnancy". Everyone is happy and things have gone well.

The "different pregnancy" phrase is one that I have thought of often this past year, particularly as I prepare to attend Girl's Camp with Katelyn. I haven't been to Girl's Camp since I was 13 years old. I went one year and vowed never to go back. I maintained that vow of Girl's Camp celibacy right up until I realized this will be Katelyn's last year of Camp and I hadn't ever gone with her. I have heard other moms relate what a special experience it was to go to Camp with their daughters and I wanted that experience, too (especially since I get a big 'ole FAIL for helping Katelyn with her Personal Progress Award). So, I'm trying to remember that this experience at Camp, while having many of the same components (ie. certification, structured activities, sleeping bags, infrequent showers, etc), is a "different pregnancy". It is going to be time to watch my daughter in action, so to speak. I will get to see how she interacts with her firiends. I will be able to see how she leads a group of younger girls. And I hope, I will get a chance to hear her quiet, but sure, testimony that the gospel is true.

"Best Of": Memories from Disney World

2011-06-04T07:12:00.000-07:00

Last week our little family joined with my parents, siblings, spouses, and kids in Disney World. When we were all together, we were one big family--27 of us, total. I had a wonderful time. Here are some of my "best of" moments and award winners (if we were giving awards).

Best Dad/Grandpa: My dad. This trip wouldn't have been possible for most of my siblings if it weren't for Dad. He also provided the grandkids with "Grandpa cash" each day. He helped herd the herd of little kids. Dad even bought each kid a t-shirt that seemed to match their personality, except for Kate, she got a tub of mismatched socks. Those socks were perfect for her and she loved them.

Best Line by a Teen-ager:
"Mom, I think you need to hire either a Spanish-speaking or French-speaking nanny for me just so they can read me stories."

Sometimes my boy has the quirkiest sense of humor.

Best Line by an 8-year old boy:
"What a rip-off."

This was uttered by Travis every time he found something to buy but didn't have quite enough money for the item.

Best Line by a 4-year old girl:
"Aunt Heather what's your plan?"
"My plan?"
"Yes. After dinner, what's your plan?"
"My only plan, Charlie, is to make sure everyone is having a good time. Are you having a good time?"
"Yes, I'm having a good time."

That last line was the best line. It meant that all of the pre-planning and researching had paid off.

Best Husband/Funnest Uncle:
Hands down goes to my guy, Dave. Yes, I'm totatlly biased and I'm sure my sister and sisters-in-law would pick their own guys, but let's all just agree that my guy is the best.

Best Gift to Me:
In case you didn't know, I'm the runt of the family. That usually means that anytime I'm together with my brothers, one or two of them feel it necessary to pick me up and squish me so hard I think my ribs are going to break. This trip not one of them did that. Thank you for giving me a break, brothers.

"What a Trooper" Award:
This one is hard to pick just one, but I think it has to go to baby Adrienne. Truly amazing that a 4-month old baby could stand the heat, the long hours in the park, the disrupted schedule, etc and hardly be fussy.

Most Inspirational Award:
This one goes to Sara Ann. I can't begin to describe the amount of admiration I have for her. Just managing a toddler and a 2-month old is a feat, but she also did a great job with my brother's (her husband) 3 older children.

So those are some of my "best of" memories. Family members who read this blog, what are some of your favorites? Please leave a comment (or several). Once I get the pictures downloaded, I'll post some of them. Does anyone know how to make a photo collage and how to post that on the blog?

Congratulations, Dr. Dan

2011-05-19T20:37:00.000-07:00

This is my ~~baby~~, ~~littlest,~~ youngest brother, Daniel

This is Dan's adorably awesome family

Today, Dan graduated from Saint Louis School of Medicine.

I remember Dan's first day of kindergarten. He hugged me as I was on my way out the door to start my junior year of high school. I cried. If I were with him today, I'm sure he would hug me again. I'm sure I would cry again.

I'm so proud of Dan. I'm so proud of his family, too. Even though Dan is the one getting the diploma, his family also deserves an award. It's not easy to be an immediate family member of a medical student. I know from personal experience.

Their next adventure will be residency at the Mayo Clinic.

How to: Make ANY Member of Your Family Feel Comfortable

2011-05-17T21:25:00.000-07:00

Some days a mom can just tell when a family member has had a rough day and needs a little TLC. Often being comfortable and snuggled in to one's favorite place can be just the ticket.

So, if you are ever faced with a day when you are called upon to make a family member more comfortable, here is some advice...

First, suggest to the family member that they go lay down. Don't give them a specific place to lay down. Let them make the choice.

Next, once they are settled into their favorite place, go and tuck them in--even if you completely disagree with the spot that they have picked to rest and you feel it ridiculous that you need to be tucking them in.

Finally, well I'm not sure what to type for finally because quite frankly, I was appalled at how comfortable this family member made herself.

The hardest thing she had to do that day was eat breakfast and take care of her business outside. I guess to be fair, it was cold and wet outside so she probably just wanted to warm up. When she came in, I told her to go lay down and my bed is the place she chose. She pretty much refused to get out. So what else could I do, but make the bed around her? I'm pretty sure she was still there when I stopped by the house on my lunchbreak because she never came downstairs to see me.

Sigh. At least she knows she is loved. And it was "change the sheet day" anyway.

Dear Windermere Half-Marathon

2011-05-14T12:39:00.000-07:00

Dear Winderemere Half-Marathon:

I wanted to thank you for a good race today. Sure, there were some race logistics that could have been planned better. For example, where you had us get on the trail probably wasn't the most ideal location as the trail immediately narrows at that point. If at possible, it might have been better to have 3 porta-potties at the water stops instead of two as the lines were 2 or 3 people deep as I ran by. But all in all, a good race.

My time wasn't spectacular; matter of fact, it was almost embarrassingly slow. But I learned my lesson last year and since the temperature at the start of the race was already 65, I decided that a combination of running, jogging, and walking was OK for me. Giving myself permission to be slow today made all of the difference in how I felt about you today. Last year I hated you and I cried in between hyperventilating and hallucinating.

Today, I actually enjoyed you (mostly). I think those positive feelings helped me offer encouragment to some other runners who were struggling through their first 1/2 marathon. If I hadn't been jogging/walking, I wouldn't have been around to help those people. And as often happens when you help someone, they wind up helping you in the process. They weren't able to cure my hyperthermia, but they gave me something else to focus on and helped me make it to the next mile marker. All of them beat me. But it was so nice to see two of them when I finally crossed the finish line and to see how proud they were of their accomplishment.

Thanks again, Windermere Half. I think I'll be back next year.

Your friend,
Nurse Graham

Dave's Big Day

2011-05-11T14:39:00.002-07:00

I'm interrupting my celebration of "National School Nurse Day" to talk about my husband's big day. It was a day I had been hoping would come for several years now. I had tried many things to make this day happen sooner, but it only came because Dave was ready.

HE WENT TO THE DENTIST!

Yes, there was some anxiety experienced by him this morning as he was preparing for the appointment. It didn't help that the teen-age daughter sarcastically responded, "Yeah, good luck with that," when Dave commented that he hadn't been flossing. "What did she mean by that?" he kept asking. How could I tell him that by not flossing for, oh the last 10+ years, he was in for a world of hurt at today's appointment? I don't care how careful and gentle the hygienist is, you just can't avoid pain and suffering when you haven't seen the inside of a dentist's office for several years. Heck, the kids don't think you can avoid pain and suffering at the hands of the dentist even if you go every 6 months.

After his visit, Dave decided that his fear of the dentist and the cleaning was completely unwarranted as his cleaning done today was done by a very nice lady and didn't hurt at all. I wonder if he will be able to convince the kids that going to the dentist doesn't have to be a painful experience? The dentist had good news for him--his gums were in really good shape and he only had 2 cavitities. One of the cavitities is in one of his top wisdom teeth so the dentist recommended that Dave just get his wisdom teeth pulled. That appointment will be scheduled for after school gets out for the summer so I can go with him. The appointment for the other filling will be in June. AND he went ahead and scheduled an appointment for his next cleaning in 6 months.

Everyone give a BIG CHEER for Dave amd his successful trip to the dentist.

He should also get a round of applause for the way he greeted me when I got home from work...he was lying down with a wad of gauze stuffed in his mouth. He refused to tell me what happened until I had kissed him on the cheek and offered him some comforting words. He is such a jokester.

A Ringing Endorsement

2011-05-09T18:36:00.000-07:00

"There is nothing better in the world than poorly made chicken nuggets glazed in artificial orange sauce," mumbled Carson through a mouthful of Panda Express' Orange Chicken.

I Don't Wear a Cape

2011-05-08T16:15:00.000-07:00

Today, in Sacrement Meeting, one of the speakers described mother's as superhero. To me, superheros are always there to save the day. Superheros seem to be able to do it all. Superheros are always fighting for the greater good. Superheros are kind, compassionate, and always looking out for the interests of others. Superheros give of themselves selflessly. The more things I list about superheros, the more I realize that I'm not even a superhero-in-training. I don't even get a "junior cape". And if mothers are supposed to be superheros, than it is amazing to me that I haven't completely screwed up my children.

The more I think about that--the fact that I have relatively well-adjusted, nice children--I truly wonder how that happened. What were the parenting skills (and where did we learn them?) that Dave and I employed to help Katelyn and Carson become the chilren that they are? Maybe it actually had little to do with what we did as parents, but was more about who Katelyn and Carson are as people--the personalities they came with.

Mucho Tastey

2011-05-06T16:07:00.000-07:00

I'm not one who usually gets all "fiesta-y" for Cinco de Mayo, but yesterday it just felt like it would be fun to have a fiesta dinner. So that's exactly what what we had. This was the menu:

Shredded pork tacos with mango salsa

Lima rice

Flan

I know that's not a huge menu, but we aren't huge eaters. The pork tacos were super easy. I cooked the pork shoulder all day in the crock-pot with a sauce of Coke, green taco sauce, cumin, lime juice and 1 c of brown sugar. Oh it was moist and yummy. The mango salsa was easy-peasy to make. Cut up one mango (remember we aren't huge eaters so 1 was sufficient for the four of us), add diced red onion, 2 shakes of garlic powder, some diced chiles, and juice of 1 lime.

The lime rice was easy to make as well. It was 1 c water, 1 c chicken broth, 1 c rice, juice of a lime, some cumin all thrown in a pot to come to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, reduce heat and simmer until water is evaporated.

My favorite was the flan. It was my first experience making flan and I'll do it again because guess what...it was easy, too. Melt 1 c sugar in a pot over medium low heat until it turns to caramel. Pour that into a pie pan that has been warmed in the oven (this keeps the caramel from hardening before you cover all the sides and bottom of your pan). Once that is done, set it aside and start on the custard. Beat 4 eggs in a mixer bowl. Then add 1 can evaporated milk, 1 can sweetened-condensed milk and 1 generous tablespoon vanilla. Pour into prepared and pop in the 350 oven for 1 hour. Don't forget to cover with foil (oops, like I did) or the top will get very browned. The flan needs to cool for at least an hour before you eat it.

Unfortunately, the flan wasn't quite ready last night. So of course, I had to try it for breakfast this morning. Oh my. I was in heaven it was so yummy. I couldn't believe it turned out so super-delicious. I think it was by far the best part of our Cince de Mayo feast, even though it was a day late.

Maybe next time I'll remember the pictures.

How to Have a Terrific Tuesday

2011-05-03T17:26:00.000-07:00

Here we go. This is how to have terrific Tuesday.

First, wake up early enough to read your favorite blogs before you go to work. Because you were able to read the blogs you have to hurry to be ready to take your boy to the bus stop. But because it is going to be a terrific Tuesday, you beat the clock getting out of the shower and drying your hair and get the boy to the bus stop on time.

Second, because the sun is shining this morning, you remember how beautiful the world is. This reminds you of several Primary songs. And since you are now the only one home and it's shaping up to be a Terrific Tuesday, you sing those wonderful songs at the top of your lungs as you finish getting ready for work.

Third, get good news. It is music to the ears of a side-lined runner to hear that she can start running again! Texting your friend and running buddy to share the good news and getting a "YAY" in response to your text makes a terrific Tuesday.

Here's hoping that you, too, had a terrific Tuesday.

Wedding, Ants, and Other Stuff

2011-04-29T09:06:00.000-07:00

I have been enthralled with the events/media coverage leading up to the Royal Wedding. The scenes and coverage took me back to my childhood when I, along with many others in the world, watched Lady Diana Spencer wed Prince Charles. To a not-quite 10 year old girl, it was such a fairy tale. This wedding seemed even more so of a beautiful fairy tale as "commoner", Kate, wed a prince. Her dress was stunning. It reminded me of something that perhaps Maid Marian from Robin Hood might have worn. It was so simple and elegant. The kiss on the balcony (the only part I saw live--I did not get up at 1 a.m. to watch the whole thing) was so fun and just about perfect.

And now back to my real life. With the increase in outside temperature, even though it has been slight, many creatures big and small have reappeared. I love seeing the ground hogs chasing each other behind my house. Going to sleep listening to the frogs croak in the pond is sweet. But I do NOT love the little ants that have decided to invade my house. Fortunately, they have kept mostly to the laundry room and entry area from the garage. Still, I think it is so gross. Carson is having a wonderful time smashing them all and I'm sure he will be disappointed when the bug guy comes on Monday. I, however, am looking forward to the bug guy coming and ridding my house of these little creatures.

Not being able to run is driving me nuts (and Josie, too). I never thought I would say that I miss running, but I do. I'm looking forward to seeing the doctor next Tuesday. I'm hoping it will be good news on Tuesday and I will get the all clear.

Finally, I'm teaching RS on Sunday and the lesson is on strengthening marriages. I've been all over the map with thoughts for this lesson. Mostly I'm not looking forward to teaching it because everyone's lived experience is so different--widows, single, divorced, unhappily married, happily married, with kids, without kids, SAHM, working mom,etc. How do you teach to that kind of diversity? I'm thinking about focusing on charity, even though we just had a lesson last week on charity. And I'm thinking about talking about common stumbling blocks in all relationships and how to improve/get over those stumbling blocks. Believe me when I say that a lot of prayer and study has gone into the preparation of this lesson. This is one of those times when teaching by the Spirit is going be an absolute necessity. I usually don't worry about teaching, but this one is hard for me. Any suggestions? What would you love to hear in a RS lesson about strengthening marriage? What would you really not want to hear?

All is Well

2011-04-26T17:12:00.000-07:00

Well, there will be no pictures as ~~the one-man production crew~~, ~~driver~~, Dave, was sent out of the room before there was even a picture opportunity. Did someone call and tip-off the doctor's office? It turns out it was probably a good thing that Dave couldn't stay as there was a lot of cauterizing that went on and that smell of burning flesh would have absolutely caused Dave to pass out.

The doctor was able to get out all of the cancer on the first cut, meaning it was localized to the first basal layer. I go back in one week for a wound check, and hopefully, will be cleared for running at that time. For right now, I just have a lovely white gauze bandage that covers most of my nose. I wonder if I can have kids sign it tomorrow when I go back to work tomorrow? Probably not worth the hassle since I get to take it off Thursday morning.

Probably the only thing that I wasn't prepared for was how tired I was after the procedure. I came home and took a 3 hour nap. It was refreshing, but still strange on how tired I was after such a little procedure. Maybe it was from all of the local anesthetic that had to be used to get me numb enough so I couldn't feel the suture needle. I think I had to ask the doctor 4 times to give me some more numbing medicince.

Interested in seeing a video about the type of procedure I had? Follow this link: http://www.mohscollege.org/about/video_patient_education.php.

Make New Friends, Keep the Old

2011-04-23T16:55:00.000-07:00

Running has given me an opportunity to become friends with many different people. Matter of fact, some of my best friends are those who I have either run with in the past or am currently running with. I think getting up before the sun to meet someone for a run work-out shows a certain level of dedication and loyalty that I haven't experienced in many other areas. We sweat, we groan, we share, we laugh...heck, when I'm running I even become pretty good at creating small talk. It's wonderful.

But sometimes I get nervous about expanding that circle of running friends (or cirlce of friends, in general). Not because I think I'm some superior runner (or person). No, matter-of-fact, I worry a lot about not being good enough. I also worry about saying something stupid--sometimes my social filter doesn't work so great. Making friends has never been super easy for me. The running friends I do have are because someone else made the first invitation.

So I was quite surprised when I found myself dialing the phone on Friday morning to invite a casual friend & her group to join Marla and I for today's run. This gal had mentioned at our Friday boot camp class that her group was down to just 3 for today's run because other members had various committments that would keep them from joining in the fun. I thought about what she had said on my way home and as I was getting ready for work. I thought about how I had been looking for opportunities to run with their group so I could get to know this great group of ladies better. I must have picked up the phone 3 different times to place the phone call & then hung it right back up before I could even punch in the numbers. Finally, I just bit the bullet and dialed. And I'm ashamed to admit that I was relieved when the answering machine picked up and I only had to leave a message.

The gal called me back that afternoon and said she was glad that I had called. She thought that expanding the group for today's run would be a good thing. So we set up the meeting time and place for this morning and that was that.

Today's run was wonderful. It was great to meet someone new (2 of the ladies I already knew). It was fun to show them a route that they had not run before. But most of all, it was fun to get that opportunity to get to know them all a little better. I hope that we will all be able to run together again soon.

PS A shout out to one member of the group who did her first 12-miler today. She did amazing. She looked strong the whole way & kept up a really good pace.

Only One Companion, Please

2011-04-22T14:12:00.000-07:00

I got a phone call today from the dermatologist's office to confirm my surgery appointment for Tuesday. I wasn't able to take the phone call so they left a message. This is what the message said:

"Hi. This is Shannon calling from Dr. S's office. I'm calling to confirm your surgery appointment for Tuesday, April 26th checking in at 8:45 a.m. Due to the limited space in our office we ask that you bring only one driver or companion with you to your appointment. Please call if you have any questions. Thank you."

I started laughing when I heard the message. How many people did they think I would bring? A whole production crew or something? I'm sure that they say this to every patient so it makes me wonder how many patients bring more than one person and how many they bring.

I would like to have pictures taken so I could use them for here and if I get a chance to do any presentations about skin cancer; however, David is the one who volunteered to be the companion and he tends to pass out when he watches medical procedures being done on family members. Not sure how that will work.

Something to Work On

2011-04-21T09:00:00.000-07:00

The other day I noticed that I am not very good at small talk, particularly if I am talking on the phone. If I'm making a phone call for a particular purpose, such as calling to schedule a visiting teaching appointment, get a substitute for RS, etc, I tend to just address the necessities and end the phone call. I don't even really give the person much of a chance to say anything beyond yes, no, or maybe.

I don't mean to be rude. I think I just tend to operate on a "get down to business" model. However, after several different phone calls recently where I just was about getting the facts spit out and resolution/conclusion made, I realized that this may come across to other people as rude and that I don't have time for them. And I felt badly about the message that I was inadvertantly sending.

So, I'm going to try and do better at offering bits of small talk when it is clear that the other participant wants to talk. I'm going to slow down and try to appear not so rude. Unless you are a phone solicitor, then I'll just cut you off.

How To: Spot Basal Cell Carcinoma

2011-04-19T18:56:00.000-07:00

At 39 years old, I find myself facing treatment for a cancer that is pretty much preventable. Of course, the prevention had to occur years ago to be of benefit now; but as a preteen and teen, heck even a 20 & 30-something, I was much too vain and worried about getting that "healthy glow" to seriously consider the consequences. I poo-pooed the warnings about too much sun exposure. I didn't believe it could ever happen to me.

But it did--basal cell carcinoma, that is. Now I am on a one-woman mission to educate the masses about basal cell carcinoma. This cancer used to be seen mostly in elderly men; however, my age group (35-45) and gender are seeing significant increase in basal cell carcinoma. What's the big deal about that since it is treatable, doesn't metastasize, and is not life-threatening? Here's the big deal. Basal cell carcinoma can be disfiguring. It can recur again in the same treated area and once you have one, you'll probably get more, just in different locations (already happened to me). There also happens to be a form called morpheus basal cell carcinoma that can be quite invasive. And if those things are not a big enough deal, basal cell carcinoma can increase your chances of developing melanoma, which can metastasize and be life-threatening.

So, what to do? First assess your risk. And in my best attempt at channelling Jeff Foxworthy, here is my list of "You Might be at Risk"

If you think the Oompa-Loompa's and Snookie are role models for tan skin, you might be at risk.
If your definition of "SPF" is baby oil without idodine, you might be at risk.
If you have a loyalty rewards card for the tanning salon, you might be at risk.
If you think the hours between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. are the best hours to be in the sun, you might be at risk.
If you have blond hair, blue eyes, and relatively fair skin, you might be at risk. This also pertains to those fair-skinned, green-eyed redheads.
And finally, if you think there is such thing as a "healthy tan", you are probably at risk for getting basal cell carcinoma.

Now that you have assessed your risk, get out the mirror and become obsessive about checking over your skin. The Skin Cancer Foundation has some great pictures showing basal cell carcinomas.

Mine that was biopsied wasn't exactly classic because it wasn't ever an open sore or area that just didn't appear to heal. It did, however, definitely have a waxy or pearly white appearance

Look carefully at the side of my nose and you will see a little white dot--that's the cancer.

Another closer-up view of the cancer--it is about mid-frame. If I were a better graphics person I would have drawns arrows, but I don't know how.

If you notice something, make an appointment with a dermatologist. Of course, start with your primary healthcare provider first, if that is what your insurance company requires. But get checked out. And if you have a bump that looks like mine and the doctor tells you it is "sebaceous hyperplasia", don't wait 10 months to get it biopsied. Insist that they do it right then.

I've learned my lesson. This up-coming trip to Florida and this summer are going to be hard as I learn to adopt a new lifestyle. A lifestyle that will go from religious sun-worship with minimal SPF to a more conservative approach to enjoy the sun; I'll be wearing a hat, SPF 50 (gasp), and probably more long-sleeves. But hey, I figure if I can learn to eat gluten-free and make that lifestyle change out of necessity, I can also make this lifestyle change out of necessity.

Finally, please spread the word about basal cell carcinoma and its increasing rates, particularly in the 20-40 age group. Encourage SPF wearing among your teen-agers. And for heaven's sakes, do NOT let teen-agers use tanning beds! England just passed regulations prohibiting use by those younger than 18.

How to Make a Gluten-free Wrap (sorry, I didn't make my own tortillas for this)

2011-04-12T19:04:00.000-07:00

Eating gluten-free pretty much stinks around lunchtime. I can't just grab a quick drive-thru something-or-other on my way to the next school. I get tired of eating yogurt, salad, cheesestick, or other "side dish items" (as my husband calls them) for lunch. Sometimes I really must miss a really good sandwhich on a good crusty artisan bread. In case you don't know, gluten-free bread is gross. I've tried several brands and I have yet to find one that really satifies.

Anyway, today was one of those days when I was yearning for something more than yogurt mixed with dry oatmeal. I only get 30 minutes for lunch so it had to be quick, too (quickness of preparation is often why I wind up eating yogurt mixed with dry oatmeal for lunch). I wanted something that would also taste good, unlike yogurt mixed with dry oatmeal.

This is what I came up with...a gluten-free veggie wrap.

Here's how to make it...
Gather your ingredients. Today mine included hummus (wish I had read the homemade hummus post earlier); red bell pepper, broccoli, cauliflower and white corn tortillas.

Slice up the red bell pepper. Cut up the broccoli and cauliflower into little bites.

Warm the tortillas in the microwave for about 30 seconds.

Spread a generous amount of hummus on 1/2 of the tortilla

Next, add you chopped veggies on top of your hummus. Fold the tortilla in half like a taco and enjoy.

Other gluten-free options that would have been great with this wrap

quinoa--my favorite way to cook this is just as if I was making rice, but I add about 3 TBSP of agave nectar to the water.
brown rice
feta cheese

What If

2011-04-11T19:58:00.000-07:00

I didn't think waiting for the biopsy results would be any big deal. However, I would be less-than-truthful if I didn't admit that I have been thinking somewhat about what the results might be. Mostly, I find myself playing the "what if" game. What if it comes back positive for basal cell carcinoma? How will I feel? What will I do? Will I just get the recommended surgery and then move on as if nothing had happened? Will I use this as a teachable moment? I am a teacher at heart. What if Heavenly Father, knowing what I was going to face, placed me in this position as a school nurse so that I could use my experience as an example to those I have a stewardship over and might influence? What if it comes back worse than basal cell carcinoma? What if it is melanoma? Will I have the strength to face all that that diagnosis and treatment entails? Will I be able to joke like I do right now? Last Saturday as my running buddy and I were out for our run, we talked about the lesion that I had removed. I told her that I had the dermatologist check it out about 10 months ago and he didn't think much about it. What if he was wrong? What if, in that 10-month period of time, the tumor had invaded the tissue surrounding my nose? Then I joked, "Well, at least now I could get the nose job I've been wanting and the insurance will have to pick up the cost." Of course, we both had a good laugh about that. But what if that really is the case? Will I still be able to joke? What if it turns out to be much adieu about nothing? Will this little scare motivate me to change my sun-worshipping behavior and be more diligent about wearing sunscreen? Will I be able to become less concerned about a sun-kissed glow on my cheeks and tan legs during the summer? Hopefull tomorrow will bring some answers. The dermatologist said a week to 10 days to get the biopsy results back. I'll let you know.

I Was So Mad (But Now I Laugh)

2011-04-07T10:48:00.000-07:00

Remember this boy?

This kid is generally a great kid and I love him a lot, but sometimes...oh sometimes! He knows how to push my buttons. He also tends to act on emotion before fully engaging the reasoning part of his brain.

Remember how I told you how he was sure that the retainers were ruining his teeth? And, remember how I asked him to give it until Thursday and if they were still bothering him I would call the orthodontist?

Well yesterday I heard nothing but how the top retainer didn't fit and it was pulling his teeth backwards. My response every time was, "Give it until Thursday."

So when he came downstairs yesterday afternoon and told me that the top retainer was feeling better and he didn't need to go back tot he orthodontist, I should have been suspicious.

Instead, I was relieved that the drama was over. Oh I should have known better. I told him, "See, I knew you just needed to get used to them."

To which he replied something like this, "Yeah, well, I just fixed the problem."

"What do you mean you 'fixed the problem'?" I cautiously replied back as warning bells and red flags were setting the mom radar off like crazy.

"I just trimmed it to fit my teeth," was his nonchalant reply.

Now with blood boiling and steam getting ready to shoot out my ears, I tried to remain cool and collected in my response back. "Okay, what do you mean you trimmed it?"

"I just cut it into a couple of pieces so it would fit my teeth. Do you want to see it?"

Shielding my eyes and laughing so I didn't kill him, I said, "No. I can't even look. I am so angry with you right now." Fortunately, someone came to the door just at that moment and the boy was literally saved by the bell.

I know the boy was just acting out of frustration. I get that. But really? Why couldn't the reasoning and good judgment portion of his brain win as he was debating with himself about his proposed "fix"? He said he knew that what he was doing was probably not the best idea, but he did it anyway. Even though he knew that he would be paying for the replacement.

Yesterday I laughed to cover my anger. Today I laugh because I realize the incident makes a great story and something memories are made of.

Taking the Good with the Bad

2011-04-05T17:09:00.000-07:00

The Good:

It's Spring Break and it's almost like I'm a stay-at-home mom. Monday I baked a cake from scratch, went grocery shopping, made dinner, and did all of the laundry. It was awesome to have all day to complete all of those tasks and not feel rushed or tired. It's like I'm living out my best dream.

The Bad:

The weather is icky. It's icky enough that Dave has declared that next year we are going somewhere warm for Spring Break. YAY!

The Good:

My hyperthyroid has returned to near normal status. And while the thyroid nodule is still there, the endo PA thinks 6 month repeat lab work and a yearly ultrasound are good enough as long as I don't start having symptoms.

The Bad:

Because I do run a little "hot" because of my thyroid, the PA said that I will be at greater risk for heat intolerance, especially when exercising. Yeah, well tell me something I don't already know. Still, it's a bummer because that does put a damper on doing longer triathlons or running a summer marathon.

The Good:

Carson got his braces off today!

Isn't he a handsome boy?!

The Bad:

He hates his retainers! He is convinced that they are "ruining [his] teeth". I told him to give it until Thursday and if they are still irritating him, I'll call the ortho.

The Good:

The derm PA was hilarious. He was so great as he was torturing (I mean treating) the kids' warts. Both kids didn't even squirm as he froze the warts (which is way better than I did when I had a wart frozen years ago. I practically jumped off the table and shouted "That's enough" before the doctor even counted to 10). The PA was also did a nice job with my skin biopsy. I hardly even felt the poke for the numbing medicine, he was that careful.

The Bad:

Having my kids in the exam room as the PA was telling me that the area he was biopsying looked very suspicious for basal cell carcinoma. Maybe those words went right over their heads, and I know that basal cell carcinoma isn't really a big deal, but I didn't want them there to hear I might have skin cancer. I'm more worried about what they thought hearing those words then I am about the actual results of the biopsy.

I'm One of Those People

2011-03-31T15:30:00.001-07:00

Ok, I'll admit it. I'm a scale watcher. I weigh myself about 3 times a day; once in the morning before I run, then again after I run, and finally, before I go to bed. I started doing this about 4 years ago to help monitor how much water weight I had lost from running. After having 2 surgeries to remove kidney stones and passing several smaller ones on a pretty regular basis, I figured I needed to get at least a rough idea on my hydration levels. So I have a pretty good idea of what will affect my weight as well as my kidney stone production. I also know that once a month I will wake up in the morning and be completely unhappy with the number that shows up on the scale. But, seriously, 3 pound increase overnight? C'mon body. Give me a break! Then I stew about the number (and the fact that my pants feeler tighter) for the week until one morning I get on the scale and the number is back to where it is supposed to be (and my pants don't feel tighter anymore). Anyone else worry about a 3 pound weight increase that literally happens overnight? I realize most people probably have many other important things to worry about, but please tell me I'm not alone. Or feel free to tell me to get over myself because, really? I should be worried about such things?

Call It What You Want

2011-03-26T12:02:00.000-07:00

My mom said my last post was more about coercion than nagging. I still say it was nagging because I was letting Dave know that he still needed to get those appointments made. I just didn't come right out and say that and I upped the ante a bit. Whatever you want to call it, it worked. Dave got his appointments scheduled. And so it was a win-win for both of us.

How To Nag, Slyly

2011-03-23T18:42:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I wasn't feeling up to playing "how-to Tuesday". Fortunately, I was feeling back to my spunky self just in time. Just in time for what, you ask. Read on and learn how to sneakily nag your husband about a worn-out, nagged-about subject. You see my husband is "old"--well, only 40 actually. When he turned 40, he assured me that he would make a doctor's appointment to get a baseline on some important markers (PSA, cholesterol, lipids, etc). He also said that he would finally get to the dentist. He has been once in the last 12 years and maybe only twice in the other 8 years of our marriage. So folks, that is a grand total of 3 times in the last 20 years. It's almost 6 months past his birthday and still no visits to the doctor or dentist, not even appointments on the books. I've tried gentle reminders. I've tried the "if you cared about us, you'd make the appointments" card. I've even tried outright nagging. NOTHING has worked. Then, as we were watching the morning news, a story came on that gave me another opportunity. But this time I was a little more subtle. I didn't outright tell him he needed to see the doctor. I told him that the story gave me a reason for, um let's say, "inaction" in certain "activities". After all, a little inaction on my part is just looking after his health and well-being. That was the take-home message I got from the news story. Now let's see if he doesn't get to the doctor and dentist. Because, apparently (and according to the news so it must be true), older gentlemen need medical clearance.

It's Monday and the Dog Stinks

2011-03-21T15:42:00.000-07:00

It's Monday and Josie really stinks, even though she has already had a bath this morning. She rolled in something when we were out running early this morning. I couldn't run down wind from her or I would start to gag. The car ride home was awful. She had a bath as soon as we got home, which of course totally messed up my morning routine. But I think that smell must have been burned into the tissue in my nose because I swear I can still smell the awfulness--several hours later. It's Monday and I find myself wondering why my guilt-o-meter appears to be broken. I thought about this yesterday as well. I was at a conference Thursday-Saturday, so, consequently I couldn't go for my run on Saturday. Instead, I ran on Sunday. For the record, I don't make it a habit to run on Sunday (can't think of the last time I ran on Sunday and I won't do Sunday races), but this week's run was 10 miles and I didn't feel like I could just skip it. I met my running buddy early and got the run in and still made it home to make sure everyone was up and ready for church. What bothers me is that for some reason I wasn't bothered about running on Sunday. It's Monday and I think I am having olfactory hallucinations. Right now I could swear I smell Chinese food (I'm sitting in the basement and not anywhere close to the basement), but Carson is down here too and he smells nothing. Great. It's Monday and I have to go grocery shopping, which, have I mentioned lately, how much I don't enjoy. Unless I can talk David into going with me. He makes it enjoyable. But I haven't made my shopping list and these olfactory hallucinations are driving me crazy. I don't think I will be able to think of anything else but the smell of Chinese food. It's Monday and I'm signing off. The dog needs another bath, dinner needs to be invented, and I have to try and do something about this smelling problem.

How To Deal with Out-of-Controlling Texting

2011-03-15T19:11:00.000-07:00

Ahh, so you've raised the white flag of surrender and admitted defeat. You've finally realized that your husband and teen-age daughter have presented fair and convincing arguments in favor of teen-ager having a cell phone. Well, before you sink back into defeat, first negotiate the terms of your surrender! Step one: Outline terms of use of cell phone. This includes the plan that you are willing to pay for (start with the cheapest, but be willing to increase one time--like a "bump" for a CD). Also included here is the times the cell phone cannot be used. It cannot be used at mealtimes, when teen-ager is sent to bed, etc. Final piece for this step: consequences of teen-ager going over allotted texts. This might mean extra jobs until bill is paid in full, or if teen-ager is employed, withholding funds from their paycheck until debt is paid. Step two: Stick to your guns when the first cell phone bill arrives and the teen-ager is over the allotted amount of texts by about $100. Make her work those extra jobs, even if it is scrubbing the deck at grandma's house. Step three: Be willing to re-negotiate to a one-time step-up in texting plan. This increase gives teen-ager unlimited mobile-to-mobile texting to phones with same cell service. It also includes 500 texts to other carriers. Also, increase the monthly amount teen-ager must contribute to cell phone bill. Step four: Give the teen-ager high-fives for going months without going over on texts. Step five: Block teen-agers texting privileges when she texts over 1200 times in one billing cylce. DO NOT fall for her argument that she has a job and can just pay to move up to the unlimited plan. Do not take away the cell phone altogether. She can still use it for calling and as her alarm clock. It also helps to deliver this bad news followed with message spoken in her love language. Do expect her to pay for the overages. Step six: When tempers are not boiling, explain to teen-ager why you will not move her up to the unlimited plan. Explain that this is sort-of like having a credit card and just because you can pay it off in full each month does not mean that you should ask for an increase in your limit. We all have to learn to live within limits and decide what is truly important. Maybe every text doesn't need to be answered with a text. Step seven: Sit down with teen-ager and review all the texts to make sure that they are numbers that she recognizes. Did you know that cell phones can be cloned and people can charge texts to your phone without you knowing it? Review the bill to make sure that this hasn't happened. Finally: Unblock texting once a new bill cycle comes around. Review what happened during this billing cycle and why such consequences were deemed appropriate. Reiterate that same consequences will be initiated if overages occur. Express your love and appreciation for your teen-ager. Let her know you appreciate her not moping, pouting, screaming/yelling, and making life generally miserable for everyone just because she lost her texting privileges. She is a terrific young lady. Results may vary according to child.

Some Things I've Learned Recently About Running

2011-03-12T15:27:00.000-08:00

1. Lasagna with spicy marinara for lunch + 5 miles of intervals after work = Really bad HEARTBURN. Like "Oh my heck, I think I'm having a heart attack" bad heartburn. 2. Shot Blocks are great in the summer. No so great in the winter because they turn into semi-solid blobs that can set off a killer TMJ issue. 3. Shot Blocks with caffeine are Suh-weet on a long run. But I can only take them sparingly or my heart races way too fast to be healthy. 4. When running indoors on the treadmill (especially if going longer than 3 miles and you are going to be a sweaty mess), DO NOT forget Body Glide. The chafe marks are super ouchy when you take a post-run shower. 5. Just like I thought, gazzillions of lunges on the day before a long run wreaks havoc on my knees. No lunges yesterday = a fabulous, though very hilly, 12- mile run today with absolutely no knee pain!

This Year I'm Celebrating Lent

2011-03-09T17:26:00.000-08:00

I've heard about Lent for several years from my co-workers who are Catholic, Lutheran, and Methodist. The conversation usually revolves what they are "giving up" for Lent--usually caffeine, refined sugar, chocolate, etc, but they never really have shared what Lent is all about. A quick Internet search reveals Lent is the 40-day period of time leading up to Easter; although some Eastern Orthodox religions observe 60 days. During this period of time, the focus should be placed on developing a closer relationship with God and preparing for the miracle of Easter--at least that is what I interpret Lent to mean from what I have read. I think the "giving something up" that my friends refer to is a small way to participate in the fast and self-denial that is part of Lent. This sacrifice is supposed to be replaced by more intense scripture study, service to others, and drawing closer to God. With drawing closer to God in mind, and trying to eliminate bad habits that keep me from feeling His Spirit with me, I have decided to give up procrastination for Lent. Oh sure, there are many things that I procrastinate that don't really have an impact on my relationship with God (Hello, mounds of paperwork waiting to be filed at work, I am talking to you); but there are also several things that I do procrastinate that really do impact my relationship with God. I tend to procrastinate having difficult conversations. Impact: often I sit and stew and feel somewhat bitter towards whoever I need to have the difficult conversation with. Or I feel "less than" because I can't handle mustering up the courage to talk. Feeling "less than" almost always makes me focus more inward and less on my Heavenly Father. I tend to procrastinate giving my forgiveness to those who I feel have wronged me. Impact: feeling less love towards the person, and hence, my spirit is darkened. Approaching my Heavenly Father to ask for forgiveness when I know that I am purposely not forgiving someone because I just don't feel like "hugging it out yet" is very hypocritical and can cause me to withdraw until I'm ready to forgive. I tend to procrastinate apologizing even if I know I am wrong. Impact: Duh, PRIDE! Always keeps me from feeling closer to God. I tend to procrastinate listening and following the promptings of the Holy Ghost. Often times it is because I doubt that I really heard a prompting or I'm afraid to act on it because I don't want to be wrong. Impact: Harder to hear and identify the promptings when they do come. My hope is that by the end of Lent this really bad habit of procrastination will be broken and I will indeed feel closer to God.